Page 495 - 3 Persian Trade rep KUWAIT 1_Neat

REFORT ON THE TRADE OF KUWAIT FOR TEE YEAR 1924-25.
The Principality of Kmcait and its inhabitants.

The frontier line of Kuwait is as follows :—
Starting from the southern portion of Has al-Qulai’ah (12 miles from
Kuwait), with the town as centre, it describes an arc towards the west until
it intersects 29° latitude, and from*his point runs in a straight line to the
Batin, opposite the junction of the AYadi al-’Aujah with the Batin- The line
then runs northward along the Batin to a point just south of the latitude of
Safwan : then eastward, passing just south of Jabal Sanam, Safwan and Uram
Qasr, and so on to the junction of Khuwair with the Khaur ’Abdullah. The
territory enclosed within this line and the Persian Gulf, together with the
island of AYarbah, Bubiyan, Maskan, Failakah, ’Auhah, Kubhar and Umm
al-AIaradim, is recognised as belonging to Kuwait.
The tract of country bounded on the north by the southern portion of the
Kuwait frontier as described above, on the east by the sea, on the west by the
Shaqq, and on the south by the straight line running due cast from the Shaqq
through ’Ain al-’Abd to the sea north of Ras al-Mish’ab, is recognised as
common to the two States of Najd and Kuwait, in which both enjoy equal
rights.
The capital itself has a population of about 50,000 souls, of whom the great
majority are Arabs. The Persiau community, however, has greatly increased in
recent years and now consists of about 10,000 souls. There are over 1,000
Negroes, a few Jews, and two or three houses of Chal lean Christians from ’Iraq.
Outside the capital the inhabitants of the principality arc all Arabs, and are
mostly nomads. The only settled villages are Jahrah, at the head of Kuwait
Bay, wliich has a population of about 500 souls ; Failakah village, on the
island of the same name at the entrance of Kuwait Bay, with a similar popula­
tion ; smaller villages of Hawaii, Diumah, Paulas, Abu Hulaifah, Fuhaihil
and Shu’aibah to the south and south-east of Kuwait.
Currency.
Kuwait has no currency of its own. Indian rupees and smaller coins are
used in the town, and accounts are kept in Indian currency ; but Maria Theresa
dollars are used for all dealings with the desert. The value of Maria Theresa
dollars averaged Rs. 179-11-3 per 100 dollars during the period under
review.
N. B.—The conversion of the trade figures in this report is made at the rate of Es. 15 per £ throughout.
Weights and Pleasures.
The ordinary unit of weight is the icaqiyah, of which there are three kinds ;
viz., one of 4 lbs. 10*22 oz.; another of 1 lbs. 15*168 oz.; and a third of 9 lbs.
4*44 oz.; being, respectively, the weight of 75, 80 and 150 Maria Theresa dollars
on which coin the tcaqigah is based. The tcaqiyah of 4 lbs. 15*168 oz. is only
used by the local Customs for import from the desert and that of 9 lbs. 4*44 oz.
only for the sale of fish, and beyond this mention of them no further notice
will be taken of them here. The toaqiyah of 4 lbs. 10*22 oz. is used by the
local Customs for sea imports, and is universally used in the town. A larger
weight is the matin, of which there are six distinct varieties, all Ijased on the
»caqiyah of 4 lbs. 10*22 oz., viz.:—
(1) The matin of 27 icaqiyahs, or 125 lbs. 3-9 4 oz., is the local Customs
measure for weighing goods for assessment of duty ; it is also
used in the town for weighing all commodities for* which there
is not a special measure.
(2) The tnann of 30 tcaqiyahs, or 139 lbs. 2*6 oz., is used for wheat
barley, ’Iraq rice and firewood. *