Page 233 - 8 Persian Trade rep Muscat 2_Neat
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Report on     ihe Trade of Muscat for the year 1933-34.


                                               The Maria Theresa Dollar fluctuates in value
                     PART L
                                              considerably, being a fleeted by the world price of
                                              silver, by the local demand in the date Mason, and
       General Description of the Sultanate of Muscat.
        Muscat is the Capital of the independent Sultanate   by the state of the Bahrein pearl market.
                                               Trade accounts are kept in Mohammadis and Gajh,
      of that name situated on the Eastern Coast of Arabia.   hypothetical units of which the former comprises
       With the exception of a small strip on the cast coast   two species, the black Mohamnadi and the white.
       of the Musandum Peninsula between Dibba and Khcr   The latter is used as a basis of calculation in whole­
       Kalba, which appertains to minor Trucial Sheikha,
      the sea-board of the Sultanate extends in the north   sale transactions, whilst the black Mohammadi,
      from Tibat, on the western shores of the Musandum   twenty and a half of which constitute a Dollar, ia
                                              used for petty retail trade. Most hundis from India
      Peninsula, to Ras Dharbat Ali in the south, situated   show their face value in MoLammadis and not in
      some  290 miles due north of the extreme westerly   rupees.
      point of Socotra Island.
        Inland the Sultanate extends to the borders of the   20 Gajh  .  1 Moh.»nmadi.
      Great Desert, now better known perhaps as the   11} Mohammadis  .  1  1>,liar.
       Ruba’ Khali. Of late years the Omanis having   100  *•        .  1  Toeeio.
      become autonomous, the writ of the .Sultan merely
      runs throughout a coastal belt varying in depth     Exchange Rate.
      from some 15 to 30 miles.
        The interior is for the most part mountainous,         Ex< h »x;t rot 100 Xura iutua
                                                                       Dei
       the main ranges running approximately paraslcl to
      the sea coast with barren, n-cky off-hoots extending     1931-32.  1932-32.  1932-24.
      in places down to the sea. TLc higher inland ranges,
       with a comparatively good rainfall, are wooded in      Ea. A. r.  iu. a. r.  Ba. a. r.
       places and generally fertile.          Highest buxar rate .   84 6 O  64 e o  96  0 0
        The sea coast for some ISO miles north west of
      Muscat is known as the Batinah. It consists of a   Lo* cat baxxar rate .   63 0 0  75 8 ft  85 0 0
      fertile strip covered for some 100 miles of its length   .Average buxtr rate .  73 0 O  60 14 *  90 8 •
      with extensive date groves.
        The remainder of the coast line within the limits of
      the Sultanate are barren and forbidding, with the   Weights and Measures.
      notable exception of Dhefar in the extreme south.   The weights used in the Customs Department
      This southern province of Dhefar extends from   prescribed in Muscat, Matrah and the Coast towns
      Murbat in the east to Ras Dharbat Ali in the west,   are :—
      and is bounded on the north by the Qura mountains.  1 Kijaa ...  The weight  of  6 dollars or
        Being well affected by the monsoon rains and being        5-5-370 oza.
      blessed with several perennial streams, this area,   24 „  .  1 Mi.<eat Murad.
                                                 10 Muscat maunds
      particularly round Salalah, is extremely fertile.  200   .  1 FansilaL
                                                               .  1 Ba&ar.
        The town of Muscat, once important and pros­      99
      perous, has given place to the adjoining part of   Rice is sold by the bag; other cereals by the follow­
      Matrah as the trade centre and focus of commercial   ing measures:—
      dealings with the Batinah and the interior.
        Muscat however still continues to be the seat of   20 Palis .  .  1 Punk.
      Government and the capital of the Sultanate.  20 Fsrrabs      .  1 KWdL
                                               The rupee which weighs one tola and the dollar, of
                     Currency.                which the weight is called “Auqia”, are used for
        The currency of the country is the Maria Theresa   weighing drugs ar.d perfumes. One “ Auqia ” equals
      Dollar .and the copper coin, known as the Baiza,  eight “ MisqaU
      minted in 1895 to the order of His Highness the
      Sultan. In Muscat and Matrah, sovereigns, Indian   Measures (Lxaear).
      currency notes and rup>ccs are generally accepted,   1 Rhihr   1 Hud or ncka.
      but the .dollar is the ouly currency recognised in .the   4 Hhiots   .   .1 Dhira or cubut.
      interior.                                 4 Dhiras   •   . I Ba* or faUftooa.
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