Page 63 - 5 Persian Trade rep BUSHIRE I_Neat

DUSfllRE. 19

unwillingness to wash the wool on account of the resulting
reduction in weight. There are two presses in Bushire.
Goats’ hair is frequently of good quility and very glossy, due hMir.
probably in part to the flocks grazing on tlie leaves of the “ Konar 99
bushes, which possess qualities that cause the leaves to be largely
employed for washing the human head in Persia. Camels’ hair Cornel** hair.
is woven by women in the district of Daslitisan into a material to
be made up into the “ ubbas ” or cloaks affected universally by
the Persians. I have seen some of a peculiarly fine texture and soft
touch. The price in Bushirc is from 50 to 250 krans (18s. 2d. to
41. 115.) according to colour and softness.
The increase in carpets of 1905 has not been maintained so far Carpet*,
as Europe is concerned. To a large extent this is due to the absence
of the reason assigned in 1905 for the increase: disturbances in
Russia no longer rendered export via the south advisable. At tbe
same time the European market has been overstocked, enormous
purchases having taken place in Teheran by Constantinople firms.
The increased trend of the export to Egypt and the strong line in
cotton carpets are noticeable. Every year Persian carpets show
a tendency to go up in price. Inferior rugs wliich were sold at
12 to 20 brans (1$. to Gs. 8d.) a few years ago cannot now be had
under 50 to GO krans (195. to 1/. 25.), and with a greater consumption
of wool there exists an improvement in the condition of the poorer
classes who work the looms.
Besides rosewater, wliich reached the very considerable figure and
of 4,857l.y there is an export of other products classified
indiscriminately by the customs as drugs and medicines or vegetable
substances, some of wliich are probably little known in Europe and
are often unrecognisable under Persian names. Some of the better
known in a long list are :—
Assafcetida.—Present price in Bushire 10 krans (35. 9d.) per
7* lbs.
Linseed.—Present price in Bushire 12 krans (4«. Gd.) per 124 lbs.
Poppy seed, wliich should be noticed in London, as there have
been several consignments to Germany. Present price, 1 kran
(4Jd.) per man of 7| lbs.
Liquorice.—Growing wild in abundance on the Marvdasht Plain
near Shiraz, but owing to heavy transport charges practically left
untouched as an article of export from Bushire.
Sesame.—28 krans (105. Gd.) per Hashem man of 124 lbs. from
Kazeran, Shiraz, Behbehan and Zeidnn,
Madder root.—80 krans (11. 10a.) per 124 lbs.
Gall-nuts.—At present 16 krans per man of 7J lbs., but little
exported in comparison with that from Kurdistan via Basra.
Sahlab (salep).—20 krans (7s. 6d.) per 7} lbs.
Onab (jujube).—4 krans (1*. Gd.) per 7} lbs. Sent from Kohras-
san to Bushire and Bunder Abbas in cases containing 20 Tabriz mans
of 6} lbs.
Sumach.
(230) B 2