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The Importations made at Grain from Catiffc Jebarra, Bahreen, and Muscat, consist of small
quantities of Surat Blue Goods, Bengal coarse white Goods, Bengal Soosiea, Coffee, Su^nr,
Popper, &Ca. Spices, Iron and Loud for the consumption of that place and its immediate
vicinity, and of more considerable quantities of Bengal Piece Goods Surat Piece Goods, Cotton
yarn, Cambay Chauders, Coffee and Pepper for the Bagdad and Aleppo merchants which are
in part the property of the merchants of Bahreen, and in part tlu property of the merchants of
Bussora ; and the importations, made at Grain from Bussora, consist of a quantity of Date
and Grain, necessary for tho consumption of Grain and its immediate vicinity.
The duties collected by the Government of Grain on mercantile Importations, are similar
to those collected by the Government of Catiffe.
In order to avoid the payment of the heavy duties, collected by the Government of
Bussora on all importations, made at that place, and ou all Exportations made from thence
to Aleppo, by way of the desert, some of the merchants of Bussora, have latterly caused a
part of their merchandize, intended for the Aleppo market, to be conveyed from Muscat to
Grain; and although a Carravan has not proceeded from Grain to Aleppo since the year
1781, the beforeraentioned Merchants of Bussora have found means to convey the Mer­
chandize in question to Aleppo by the Carravans which have occasionally departed from
Bussora for that place, and have thereby defrauded the Government of Bussora of 15 and 17
per cent on the whole of its value.
Tho Conveyance of property from Grain to Bagdad or Aleppo in Carravan by way of the
Desert, is not attended with any consequential Danger, the Shaiks of the Carravans being
careful to provide themselves, with Rafeaks or Arabs of tho different Tribes, who inhabit the
Desert Rafeaks, thus employed, consider, the Carravans under their Protection and on meetiug'
Parties of their own Tribes, have always sufficient influence with them to prevent their
committing auy acts of violence, provided the Shaiks of the Carravans make the customary
presents which are trifling ones, to the Heads of those Parties ; and pay them, the fixed Arab
Jewaise or Duties, due to their Tribes. In Arabia, the usual load of a camel is in Weight
about seven hundred English Pounds, and the Shaiks of the Carravans will in all Times, by
customary agreement, engage to convey from Grain to Aleppo, and to pay the Arab Jewais
or Duties thereon, that weight of Piece Goods for a sum of Money equal to Bombay
Rs. 130 and that Weight of Gruff Goods, for a sum of money equal to Bombay Rs. 90. The
conveyance of Merchandize from Grain to Bagdad, by Carravans is attended, by a Moiety of
the expence incurred, in the conveyance of Merchandize from Grain to Aleppo by Carravans.
Carravans generally, proceed from Grain to Aleppo in about eight Days, and from Grain to
Bagdad in about thirty days.
It has already been remarked that Grain, Jebarra and Bahreen belong to the Arabs of
the tribe of Beneattaba. Those places are uuited under one Government at the Head of.
which are Ahmed ibu Califfa, the Shaik of Bahreen, and Abdulla ibu Subbak the Shaik o£
Grain : The Shaiks are both Men of established characters, and they have successfully exerted
themselves, to give consequence to their tribe who are now generally respected and feared in
the Persian Gulph and are consequently become the most powerful Arabs that navigate it.
Their gallivats, and Boats are numerous and large, and they have engrossed the whole of
the Freight Trade carried on between Muscat and the Ports on the Arabian shore, of the
Persian Gulph, and a principal part of the Freight Trade, carried on between Muscat and
Bussora; the Government of Grain, Jebarra and Bahreen may in point of respectability
strictness and Justice, with propriety be compared, to that of Muscat, and the strengers who
visit those ports, as well as the merchants resident there, are on all occasions, most compleatly
protected, both in their persona and property.
Since the capture of the Island of Bahreen by the Arabs of the Tribe of Beneattaba, an
Enmity, rather however of an inactive and negative kind, has uniformly subsisted betweon
that tribe aud the Persians and has totally destroyed, tho commercial intercourse, whioli
previous to that period was advantageously cultivated by both parties.
Bussora, by situation is peculiarly adapted to the purposes of commerce ; indeed that
city owes its present Existence, to its local Advantages which had they been less conse-
quential, could not have sustained it under the Pressure, of the heavy and various misfortunes
which during the course of the last seventeen years, havo united to distress it. Bussora is
situated on the Banks of a Noble River, capablo of admitting into it Vessels of the Burthsn