Page 204 - 4 Persian Trade rep KUWAIT 2_Neat

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(/) Education.—Tbcro arc a great many when]* distinct vcrictics. ail based on the Wcqivah of
of a sort ia Kuwait. The Arabs conduct at least 4 lbs. 1022 ozs., i'i:.:
52, the Persians have 11 and the Jews and Christiana (1) The Mann of 27 Waqivahs, or 125 lbs.
one each making a total of 65. Of the Arab schoole 3-91 ozs. t> tbe local Cust< n»s measure
27 art for boys and 25 for girls. These schools arc lor weighing goods 'for A.-^*wnncnt of
not *ubdor any-connrol of the local'government. The duty: it i> also used in tb«* town for
curriculum in most of the schools con.-ist of reading weighing all comtm»ditio* for which
and memorising the Quran. The American Mission there i6 not a special measure.
school gives the best education in Kuwait, but ita
members do not exceed 30. English is one of the (2) The Mann of 30 Wnqiyabs or 139 lbs. 7i-94
principal subjects taught. ozs. is used for wheat, barley, Iraq
ruv* and firewood.
(g) Administration.—Kuwait was founded about
tbc beginning of the 18th century by some settlers (3) The Mann of 24 Waqivahs or .V» lbs. 10 64
of the * Uiub ’ a sept of the Anazzwh tribe, •over ozs. m us**d for sail cloth only.
whom the- Subab family enjoyed predominance. (•1) The Mann «•( 24 Waqivahs «*r 111 lbs.
It is unnecessary :o consider the early history. 5-ir ozs. is used for clarified butter,
Suffice to say th^t in May 1S96 Shaikh Mubarck fat. sralt ar.d gypsum mortar.
became Rr.lvr of Kuwait on the assasination of his (5) The Mann of 36 Waq-yahs «*r ICO lbs.
‘brother. It was he who raised Kuwait from a place 15-92 ozs. is used for wheat and barley
of little importance to a flourishing principality. when imported from I'asrab, 20 Manns
Onder'bis strong rule it became a most attractive of the host named variety or approxi­
place to live in to the Arab mind and th»* population
of tbc town nearly doul/.cd itself. The present mately 3.310 lbs., make one Taqar.
•Shaikh like his predecessors rules personally and Firewood is .normally sold bv the Rafa of 1 Manna
as far as possible avoids delegations o: his authority. 0f 3y Waqiyats or 6.056 lbs. io-1 ozs.
lie howev-r has a Qadhi or Chief Judge who tries Gypsum mortar is bv the Karali of 100 Manns
all criminal cases os well as those connected with of 24 Waqiyr-hs or 11 135 11-s. The term Karah
marriage, divorce tnd inheritance and a deputy
in tbc 6hape of Shaikh Abdullah al-Jabir a relative is also used ? -r date palm branches in which sense
it means !/.«« branches.
who deals with all tribal cases outside the town and
-.petty magisterial cases in the city. The Ruler Beams and masts are sold by the Calicut KaDdy
‘himself gives audience to all and sundry for one or or 10 cubic f--et 29 cubic inches: round rafters or
two hours daily in the market place and there de- Spans by the Korjah or score and boat riba by fbe
rides important cases and appeals hy direct judg- Gari or cart load of 4«J pieces or upward according
‘merit. 'Should a commercial dispute come before Rl2e-
*him, he refers it for enquiry and decision to a standing The 4-gallon Kcrosine oil tin is used ts a measure
‘council of leading merchants. of capacity for ‘the sale df water.
’Currency.—'Kuwait has no currency of its own^ Of the smaller weights is the habbaL -equivalent
'Indian rupees and smaller coins are used in the to 3 grains Troy used in the sale of Gold and Silver,
town and accounts are k?pt in Indian Currency Gold is normally sold by the mithqal at tori of 18
hut Maria Theresa Dollars are used for all dealings hubbubs ot 55 grains and also by the Turkish pound
•with the d^ert. The value of "Marfa Theresa Dollare and fractions thereof. Silver is sold bv the mrihqal
averaged £o-0*3 per one hundred dollars during Shirazai of 25 habhabs or 72 grain*.' The mithqal
•4he period under review. attari and the -mitliqal Sbiraoi are a*so used 'lax
7>.Ii.—*Th*- conver«5oa of Uic trade figures in this report ia drugs and silk thread but .for this purpose 'they art
Wdc at-tbe rate of FU. 15 per £ throughout. not divided Into habbahs but only into halves .ami
‘Weight* and Measure*.—The ordinary unit of quarters, the nice tie* of weight bcingr arrived at
weight is the Waqivah of which there are three the‘two mifhqals and their fractions in con-
kinds ; one of 4 lbs' 10-22 ozs.; another of 4 1U. j«ti°n. Perfumes as also gold thread are sola V
16-1C8 ozs. and a third of .9 lbs. 4-44 oz*. being the tofah of 1B0 grains.
respectively tbe weight of 75, 80 arid 150 Maria In the .pearl trade Xhe .following weights and
Theresa dollars on which coin the Waqjyab is measures are most commonly nwd in .Kuwait,
fcatk-d. The'Waqiyah of 4 lbs. 15*168 ozs. is only Wholesale purchase of pearls from tLe Captaina
#sed bv tbe local Customs ferr imports from the of the pearling boats are made chiefly-by «z«. For
desert and that of 9 lbs.-4-44 ozs. only for the sale this purpose after aoy exceptionally good petals
4f fish, and beyond this mention-of •tk*,rano,furtfccT which it is desirous to dispose of separate!? have been
Wtt-i'.c will be taken of them here. The Wagtyah removed 'remainder are -assorted by being passed
•f A lbs. 1<>22 ozb. is used by the local Customs for through a scricB of perforated trass or copper l>owl|»
die sea imports and is universally us*d in the town, the standard set of which consists of four: the
A larger'WMght is the liann of which there are fir* perforations of -the 'largest called ras art '18* ia