Page 120 - 4 Persian Trade rep KUWAIT 2_Neat

2

Firewood is normally sold by the Rafe? of 4 manns the bei* or fathom is usually employed. There is no
^
of 30 Waqiyah* or 5,556 lbs. 10-4 ozs. square measure in use: and a plot of ground U
________
Gvpsura mortaf is sold by the harah of 100 www described as being oo many dhira't according to the
of 24 Waqiyaht or 11,133 lbs. The term larah is mim of its sides,
also used for date palm branches in which cense
it means 1,000 branches. The Year 1928-29.
Beams and masts arc sold by the Calicut Kandy This year was also not a favourable one for trade
or 10 cubic feet 29 cubic inches: round rafters or aB there was still no trade with Ncjd. Although
spars by the Korjah or score and boat ribs by the both the Imports and Exports in very few cases
gari or cart load of 40 pieces or upward according show any increase over last year’s figures, consider­
to size. able quantity of the imported goods remained
unsold, partly owing to the unsettled state of the
The 4-gallon Kcrosinc oil tin is used rs& measure country round Kuwait during the winter months,
of capacity for the sale of water.
which ham pern l such trado With the hinterland
Of tho smaller weights is the kabbah, equivalent that docs still exist: and, perhaps more so, to the
to 3 grains Troy, used in the sale of gold aijdjsilven. increased efficiency of the Persian Preventive Ser­
Gold is normally sold by the milhqal 'aiian 'ol 18 vice which has practically stopped the smuggling
Habbahs, or 54 grains, and also by the Turkish pound of sugar and tea to the Persian Coast. Consequent­
and fractions thereof. Silver is sold by the milhqal ly many people have been leaving for Bahrain,
Shirazi of 24 Kabbah*, or 72 grains. The milhqal Jubail and Qateef to seek employment: and even
*attari and the mithqal Shirazi are also both used a few merchants have transferred to Bahrain and
for drugs and silk thread : but for this purpose they are carrying on trade there. The pearling season
are not divided into habbahs, but only into halves was considerably better than the previous three
and quarters, the niceties of weight being arrived years as some ££0,000 worth of Pearls are estimated
at using the two milhqal* and their fractions in to have been taken to Bombay, etc., for sale.
conjectkm. Perfumes as also gold thread, are sold
by the tolah of 180 grains.
In the pearl trade the following weights and mea­ The total Imports by sea amounted to £346,300
sures are most commonly used in Kuwait. Whole­ and showed a decrease of 15*54 per cent, as com­
sale purchase of pearls from the Captains of pearl­ pared with the figures for 1927-28. This is account­
ing boats are made chiefly by size. For this purpose, ed for by the decreased Import of Coffee, Piece-
after any exceptionally good pearls, which it is goods, sugar and specie.
desired to dispose of separately, have been removed,
remainder are assorted by being passed through Of the total Import trade 61*08 per cent, vslis
a series of perforated brass or copper bowls, the with India, 20*78 per cent, with ‘Iraq, 10*7 per
standard eet of which consists of four: the per­ cent, with Persian Coast, 2*05 per cent, with Arabian
forations of the largest, called ra* are -18* in dia­ Coast and 5-39 per cent, with other countries.
meter : those of the second, bain *15*; those of the
third, dhaU -13* and. those of fourth rabi'ah *11'. Esparto*
After being assorted into r«, bain, etc., they change The total exports by sea amounted to £208,114
hands at a previously arranged rate, at so much and showed a decrease of 5*16 per cent, as compared
the milhqal *Arabi, which is equivalent to 50 grains. with the figures for 1927-28. This ia accounted
The ordinary pearls then usually pass from one for by the decreased known export of soft sugar
dealer to another on the more precise kind oTresti- and specie. Although pearls of the aggregate
mate based upon weight. In Kuwait the Bombay amount of £80,000 are 6hown in the Tables as having
milhqal equivalent to 75 grains Troy, and sub-divided been exported for sale to Indian Markets, accurate
into 24 ratli* each of 15 anah*, is usually employed. figures for these and specie can never be obtained
The unit in the dealers* system is called a chau, as these are often exported amongst personal lug-
and, although derived from a weight, it is not in
itself a weight. The number of ehau* in a p^ari g*g*
is found by squaring the weight of the pearl in Of the total Export Trade 53*15 per cent, was
milhqal* and multiplying the result by 330. The with India, 21*13 per cent, with Arab Coast, 114)5
chau is divisible into 100 dubah*, and the dulrak per ccDt. with ‘Iraq and 14*67 per cent, with Persian
into 100 badams. There are other kind of chau Coast.
also occasionally used, and obtained by an identical
process from other milhqal*, such as the Poona Customs Administration and Ligfcterafa,
tnithgd of 68f grams. The Administration of the Kuwait Customs is
The normal unit of length is the dhira? or cubit supervised by a local Arab and the system works
19r, but for rope, which is also sold by the weight, satisfactorily. An Import Duty of 4 p«