Page 69 - 3 Persian Trade rep KUWAIT 1_Neat

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Tliore is an item of export for which figures aro not available, visa—
jfativc boats. Tho boat building industry is a busy and thriving ono and all
the new boats built in a yoar aro not absorbed by 1ocj\1 owners. A numbor of
them, I am told, are sold to owners resident at the smallor Persian ports, up the
Shatt-el-Arab, and along the cost to Bahrain. Even if 0 to 10 boats a year
aro so disposed of they would represent a rcspoctable sum of money in the export
returns if it was possible to includo thorn.
'll. Openings for Trade.—It is only in cheap articles that any opening
for trade is at present apparent. Cheap lamp ware, enamel ware, haberdashery,
small articles of ironmongery, etc., offer tho best opportunities but to find any
sale at all they must bo cheap, for local intelligence, though ablo to appreciate
quality is not yet educated to considering such household articles absolute neces­
saries though willing enough to give them a trial if cheap enough. Cheap
furniture such as looking-glasses, bent-wood chairs, small tables, might find a
sale among the moro well-to-do but I doubt there is yet much real demand.
12. The figures furnished in the accompanying tabular statements aro as
accurate as can bo obtained, those for tho steamer traffic being compiled from
manifests, whilst those of the buggalow traffic aro collected in various ways.
1 have endeavoured to prevent any over-estimation as being tho greater evil,
and in doing so the resulting figures may perhaps prove to ho pitched somewhat
slightly below tho real mavk of the port's trado, Au endeavour will bo made
before next year’s report to obtain, if possible, more accurate statistics from tho
Shaikh’s Customs office.
13. Shipping.—The number of steam vessels that entered and cleared
from Kuwait harbour during the year is 70 representing a tonnage of 1,01,304.
14. The total rainfall for the year under report amounts to 6 inches 71
cents.

(3d.) W. IL I. SHAKE3PEAR, Captain,
Political Agent, KuioaiU