Page 284 - 4 Persian Trade rep KUWAIT 2_Neat

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52, the Persians have 11 and the Jews an.l Chris- i* the Mann of which there arc five distinct varieties
tians one each making a total of 05. Of the Arab all band on the waqiyah of 4 lbs. 10-22 oz., viz.
schools 27 are for boys and 25 for girls. These (1) Thc Mann of 27 vaqiyah or ,03
schools are not under any control of the local Gov- 3.94 oz js ,i.c local’fWnma * "
eminent. Thc curriculum in mart of the school* for wciuhinC o„od3 for «l T".
consists of reading and memorising thc Quran. dutv ft is also used in ti f*niCn
The America Mi~ion School *ivc .b. !«**»«-
non m Kuwait, but it. members do not exceed 27. there is not a special measure.
English is one of thc principal subjects taught.
(2) Thc Mann of 30 waqiyabs or 139 lbs. 3-54
(g) Administration.—Kuwait was founded about ox. is us*d for wheat, barley, Iraq rice
thc beginning of the 18th century bv some settlers and firewood.
of the ‘ h'tul. \ » sect of the An.z»h tril* over Thc Mann ,, waqivabs or 55 ]|)s 1Q
"hem the Sul,ah familv enjoyed nredom.nance. It 02. is ust.j for on,
is unnecessary to consider thc early history, ouince . J
to say that 'in May 1896 Shaikh Mubarak l>ccarac (-1) The Mann of 24 waqivalis or 111 lhs. 5-28
Ruler of Kuwait on the assasination of his brother. oz- >s um-<1 for clarified butter, fat, salt.
It was he who raised Kuwait from a place of little nn<* gypsum tnortnr.
importance to a flourishing principality. Under (5) The Mann of 36 waqiyalis or 166 lbs. 15-92
his strong rule it Wnmc a most attractive place oz. is used for wheat and barley when
to live in to thc Arab mind and the population of imported from Basrah. 20 Manns of
the Town nearly doubled itself. The present Shaikh the last-named variety or approximately
like his predecessors rules personally and as far 3,340 lbs. make one Taqar.
as possible avoids delegation of his authoritv. He
however has a Qadhi or Chief Judge who tries all Firewood is normally sold by thc Rafa of 4
criminal ca*cs as well as those connected with Manns of u0 waqivahs or 55G lbs. 10-4 oz.
marriage, divorce and inheritance and a deputy in Gypsum mortar is sold l»v thc Karah of ICO
the shape of Shaikh Abdullah al-Jalir, a relative Manns of 21 waqi%alrs or 11,135 lbs. The term
who deals with all tribal cases outride the town and Karah in also used for date palm branches in which
petty magisterial eases in thc City. The Ruler sense it means 1,000 branches,
himself gives audience to all and sundry for one or Beams and masts are sold by the Calicut Kandy
two hours daily in the market place and there or 10 cuUc {cet 2'J cubic inches. Round rafters
decides important eases and appeals by direct or Spars })V the Korjah or score and boat ribs by the
judgment. Should a commercial dispute come Gari or cart.]oad of 40 pieces or upward according
before him, he refers it for enquiry, and decision to g-ize<
to a Standing Council of leading merchants. . .
The 4-gallon kero-nne oil tin io used as a measure
Currency.—Kuwait has no Currency of its own. of capacity for the sale of water.
Indian nipres and smaller coins arc used in the of tbe smaller weight9 is the babbab cqu;^alcnt
town and accounts are kept in the Indian Currency ^ 3 Brain8 Trov uwd in the sale of gold and silver,
hut Maria Theresa Dollars arc used for all dealings Gold). normal|y 8old by the mjthqaj, -attari of 18
with the desert. The value of Maria Theresa habbahs or 54 grains and also by the Turkish pound
Dollars averaged Rs. 80-6-6 per 100 Dollars during and fraction8 thereof. Silver is sold bv the mithqal
the penod under review. Shirazzi of 24 habbahs or 72 grains. The mitbqal
Attari and the mithqal Shirazzi are also used for
loc*1 I^P«oSlerl;ng«zch.»Ce during drug8 and silk tbread bat for thi„ ,bey are
the period under review eu Kb. J8-5-3 per pound. Ac,. . , , . , . . . t 1 • f x. i J j
^ not divided into habbaba but only into halves and
Weights and Measure*.—The ordinary unit of <Joart€rp* the nice ties of weight'being arrived at
weight is thc waqiyah of which there are three the tw0 nuthqals and their fractions in con-
kinds: one of 4 lbs. 10-22 oz., another of 4 lbs. junction. Perfumes as also gold thread are sold
15-168 oz. and a third of 9 lbs. 4-44 oz. being respec- ^ tolah of 180 grains.
tively the weight of 75, 80 and 150 Maria Theresa In the pearl trade the following weights and
Dollars on which coin the^ waqiyah is based. The measures are most commonly used in Kuwait,
waqiyah of 4 lbs. 15’ 108 oz. is only used by the Wholesale purchase of pearls from the Captains of
local Customs for imports from the desert and that the pearling boats are made chiefly by size. For
of 9 lbs. 4*44 oz. only for the sale of fish and beyond this purpose after any exceptionally good pearls
this mention of them no further notice will be taken which it is desirous to dispose of separately have
of them here. The waqiyah of 4 lbs. 10-22 oz. is been removed remainder are assorted by being-pass-
used by the local Customs for the sea imports and ed through a series of perforated brass or copper
is universally used in the town. A larger weight bowls, the standard set of which consists of four: