Page 380 - 5 Persian Trade rep BUSHIRE I_Neat

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consequence more than a month Late, while the The following table gives the comparison of
cnantity falling in December was insufficient to seasons of rainfall, i.c., October to May
J,f!Cn the ground for sowing to the necessary Inches
\v*.»nt In the districts of the littoral sowing and 10m M 3*10
{Si** cannot be undertaken till well on in No- * * *
vernW, and must cease by the 10th January, or 1^-3 . 10-SC
<•horwue the com is insufficiently grown Wfore 1006-07 804
lU* hot sun and lack of rain iu March a fleet it. 1007-08 6*2
In confluence, everywhere in the upper 100S-00 Gti
repion of the Gulf, save for certain districts, 1009-10 1C'32
cultivation was far below the average, and this was 1010-11 20-29
f.'flowed up by the almost entire lack of rain in 1911-12 990
j'tbruarv and March. For many localities the 1512-13 C-07
Unest of 1313 did not yield the quantity of TWr^rr.-During the v,-ar endin- March
32&S&&535 afewtartw

e\ option in the large district of Dasliti, where for Pulhc Hcall\.—As already mentioned in the
the second year in succession both tillage and har- report for March 19* 2-12, a very severe epidemic
v.$t gave a large surplus permitting export to of plague prevailed :n Bush ire throughout the
v.rious ports of the Gulf and providing ?. large , spring of the latter vear, and in April’and May
jart of the food supply of Bushire and other j 1912 little business in town was possible, and
I :;s. The failure of rain and resultant shortage a large part of the population had left the
.;:.J dearness of food supplies for man and beast town. This accounts for the large number of
hi3 a very serious effect on trade and general deaths during the year. The sickness for the
j: sperity of the districts : further it was by no third year in succession ceased in June, and
i.; ans confind to the littoral, and from every- though it reappeared in April 1913, it was in
wivre down the carvan route, and all over Fars a very mild form, there were only 30 cases and
«i:.*.:!ar reports have been received. Tlic nomad 25 deaths, and little alarm was felt owing to
l.v.es (KasLgais) throughout the winter aud the lateness of the season. It was popularly
*:::ag of lei2-13 were buying at excessive prices suppos'd that the exceptionally dry winter and
:.'I visible stocks of grain in the districts of the coldness of the early spring had something to do
ral, both north and south of Bushire, their with the mildness of t-e epidemic in 1913.
•:--3 sowings in their winter quarters across the The number < f cases of plague recorded for the
L'.'r.ntains Laving failed. To the poor rainfall whole period under review was '7s, out of which
■;: ! dearness of foeder is also to be attributed the the mortality was 07'. Tbe number of deaths
.\._b prices of animal transport to the interior from other causes was 51S, as compared with 599
•Liring 1913. in 1911-1*2, and total mortalitv from all causes in
The weather conditions of the winter of 1913- 1910-11 of 637 and in 1909-10 of 965.
-r will be watched in Bushire aud Fars generally The recurrence or absence of plague in Bashire
-I'.h the greatest anxiety, and merchants in in the spring of 191 4 will, like the rainfall, have
E-’vpe in particular need to pay ciose attention an important effect on tLe general prosperity of
'.••.•ather r-jorts, for if there is another failure ! the corning year.
•• crops for the third year in succession, something j S/upfirtg.—The total number, of steamships
fc.:: to famine conditions will aris*, purchase will 1 of all nationalities entering and clearing the port
re-t rioted, and caution should be exercised with i
e.umilments. j during the year March 1912-13 was almost Mvn-
. tical with that in 1911-12, riz., 201 entrances
The eastern districts of Fars, including the I and 190 clearances, as against 200 entrances and
'p-.xra producing localities of Fasa and Darab I 190 clearances in 1911-12; while the tonnage of
were also plagued with locusts in the spring of ships entering increased from 319,234 tone to
!••• 3. and great damage done to all crops: while 325,955 tons. Though there was an insignificant
<‘.asideral.le scarcity was felt round Shiraz. decrease of 2,294 tons in vessels cleared, the
The criterion rf a good rainfall, ensuring ! number of those clearing with cargo rose from
brge harvest, would be 3 inches monthly in No- 159 to 14-5.
v-raber, January, and March, 3 inches in Dccem- It can therefore be said that the shipping of the
r: and 2 inches in February. port fullv maintained tbe increase of 1911-12.
; The melwoiopca1 return ^ Bnshire were Of‘the 201 ship enterin- British shipping
^ dEim‘ “ prtr,0aJ ae-o„nt<tJ for 1 *3 vessels, and for 173 of the
190 steamships clearing. The number of British
steamships entering and clearing was therefore the
1910-11 1911-12 1912-13 same as iu 1911-12 ; but as a result of tbe cessation
: inch*. inches. incLet. of the export of grain in the early part ottbc
period under review, clearances to the f.nited
Kingdom direct with cargo fell off considerably,
••*r.L 2l«t to 31st . * 1*50 3-02 0-14 |
r"! . • 0-07 023 being 1^ infrtead of 29 steamships.
Iv*:Ur 0*30 Shipping with India, which is not affe-ted by
• i 3-77 tbe exj*ort of grain, was, however, moreactive than
11*50 1*96 *1*18
i • •*? 4*22 3*29 206 in 1911-12. 1(16 steamships clearing with cargo a;
026 0*39 1*67 against 90 in that year.
ap to ifnh . I 0-99 010 003
The number of vessels of varions British
13*77 12 M | 6*23 shipping companies, and tbe numl»er of jaekages