Page 415 - 8 Persian Trade rep Muscat 2_Neat

Report on the Trade of Muscat for the year 1939-40.

PART L The area of the Sultanate has been estimated Ht
about e’2,000 square miles and the population at
5,0u0,000, chiefly Arabs, but there is a strong
General description of the Sultanate of infusion of negro blood, especially along the coast.
Muscat.
The towns of Muscat and Alatrah are composed oi
Muscat is the capital of tlic independent SulUnatc oce-third Indian, one-third Baluch and onc-third
of Muscat and Oman situated at the easterly* corner negro. There are few Arabs resident in these two
of Arabia. Its seaboard Is nearly 1,000 miles long towns.
and extends from near Tibba on the west siie of The present Sultan is His Highness Sir Saiyi-i
the Musindam Peninsula round to Ras Dtrbat Said bin Taimur, K.C.I.E. (bom August 13th, 1910),
Ali. Ras Darbat Ali marks the boundary between who succeeded his father Saiyid Sir Taimur bin
the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman and the terri­ Faisal, K.C.LE., C.S.I., in 1932, as the 13th of his
tory of tLe Sultan cf Kishen and Socotra, a Sultanate dynasty to be Sultan of Muscat and Oman.
within the Aden Protectorate. A small strip of
the coavt on the cast side of the Musaodam Penin­
sula from JDibbah to Kkor Kalba La administered Currency.
by minor chiefs of Trucial Oman, independent of The currency of the country is the silver Maria
the SuJtan. The Sultanate extends inland to the Theresa Thaler or Rial and a copper coin, known
borders c-f the Kuba al Khali or Great Desert. Phy­ as the Baiza, minted in 1S95 to the order of His
sically Muscat and Oman consists of three elivi­ Highness the Sultan. In Muscat and Matrah
sions—a coastal plain, a range of hills, and a pliteau. Indian currency notes and rupees are generally
The coastal plain varies in width from ten milc-s in accepted, but the Rial is the only currency recog­
the neighbourhood of Suwaiq to practically nothing nised in the Interior.
iu the vicinity of Matrah and Muscat town3 where The Maria Theresa Rial fluctuates in value consi­
the bills descend abruptly into the sea. The noun- derably, being affected by the world price of silver
tain range runs generally from north-west to ioath-
cast. It reaches its greatest height in the Jebel and the local supply and demand.
Akhdar region, where heights of over 9,000 feet
occur. The hills are for the most part barren but Weights and Measures.
in the high area round Jebel Akhdar they are The weights used in the Customs Department in
green and there is considerable cultivation. Muscat, Matrah and the coast towns are:—
The plateau has an average height of a thou­
sand feet. With the exception of cases there is 1 kiyaa . The weight of 6 dollar* oe
little or no cultivation. Korth-west of Muscat the 5-9375 ota.
coastal rlain is known as the Batinah. It is fertile 24 kiyaa • Muscat Maond.
and pro.-perous. The date gardens extend for over 10 Muscat Maunds • 1 Farasalah.
150 milts. The Batinah datc3 are famous for their 200 Mascot Maun da . 1 Bahar. !
flavour. They ripen in the flrst half of July well Rice is sold by the bag; other cereals by the
‘ before the Basra dates. The coast line between following measures?.
Muscat md the province of Dhofar is barren and
forbiddirg. The fertile province of Dhofar lies on 20 Pal- . 1 Farrah.
the south-eastern coast of Arabia. Its principal 20 Farraho . • 1 KfcendL
town is SaJalah on the coast while Murbat is the
port. The last remaining possession on the north The rupee which weighs one tola and the dollar
coast of the Gulf of Oman is the port of Gwa-dur of which the weight is called “ Auqia ** are used for
and a small tract of country surrounding the town. weighing drugs and. perfumes.- One “ Auqia-" is '
The town of Muscat is the capital and the seat of equal to eight *' Misqals f.
Government. At one time a town of some commer­
cial importance it has of recent years lost most of Measures (Linear).
its trade which has been transferred to the adjacent i Shi be . .. 1, hand or.41 caches.
town of 31atrah. Matrah is the starting point for 4 Shabrp • .. IChire.orceMfc
the trade routes into the interior. 4 Chins • ' 1 Be* or fat bote.