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414,
certain class of Manufacturers, residing chiefly in the Bagdad, Mosul, Diarbekir, Aleppo and
Damascus, and in the vicinities of those places have exerted themselves to produce on reason-
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able Torms, various kinds of coarse Goods, sufficiently similar in Quality and Appearance,
to Goods formerly brought from India to the Bussora Market, to induce many of the Inhabit­
ants of the beforemeutioned places and of their vicinities to uso them. Tho Goods in question
I have gradually become in repute they arc now in common Wear, and only a small quantity
of tho Indian Goods, of which they arc Imitations, aro consequently now vendible. People
of high Bank and Fortuuo in tho Turkish Empire, can alono afford to use tho costly Goods,
annually imported from India at Bussora, aud tho Exponce in which the generality of them
are involved by the War in which the Ottomaus arc engaged, for the support of their Military
Employments, leaves them little to devote, to the purposes of Luxury.
Large Importations have latterly been made into the Turkish Empire of India Muslins,
of different qualities, through the channel of sea conveyance, from Beugal to Europe ; as well
on the Hon'blo Company's Ships, as in those of Foreign Nations. The Merchants of England,
free of tho Levant Company, aud the Merchants of Marseilles, Leghorn, aud Trieste, have
latterly made considerable consignments of India Muslins, to Smyrna and Constantinople, and
they can often at those Markets, afford to undersell, the proprietors, of Muslins, conveyed
thereto, through the chanucl of Bussora.
The injurious operations of the beforementioned, and of some less consequential causes of
the Decline of the Commerce of Bussora, aro heavily felt, as well by tho Resident Merchants,
of Bussora, as by the strangers who visit that Port. The Extortions, which the Merchants
of Bussora, suffered during the late revolutions were oppressive and discouraging circumstances
aud the great Difficulty which now exists, of procuring a vend for Indian Piece Goods, either
at Bussora, Bagdad, Damascus, Aleppo, Smyrna or Constantinople, even at a long credit, and
at a consequent Risk, deters them from engaging in capital Adventure in those Articles.
The Merchants of Bussora, have still however some Incentives to Commercial Pursuits. The
Place, as has been already remarket, is by situation peculiarly adanted to the Purposes of
commerce, and it may reasonably be hoped, that, if a Peace is early concluded between the
Ottoman Emperor and bis European Enemies, aud if Bussora, and the adjacent Country enjoy
a continuance of the present Tranquility commerce will considerably revive. A well informed
Merchant, may then, with confidence, again venture to speculate, in Indian Piece Goods,
and an active and industrious one, may even now, with a certainty of benefitting himself^
en gage, in a considerable Trade, which is now and has ever been notwithstanding all difficul-
ties aud obstructions in Bussora, in the Gruff Articles of Coffee, Sugar,
Pepper, &ca., &ca., necessaries. In favorable Times the Profits acruing to the Merchant of
Bussora, arc extremely well worthy of his Attention, and a short Period of success, well often
fully counterbalance the disadvantages arising to him, from a temporary suspension of Trade,
and compensate to him, past Loss of Time, and Trouble, and past Risk aud Difficulty.
Uiuores which It has been thought necessary to precede the sentimeuts, which will be hereafter expressed
to** encrwjc ^the on BU^iec^ Increase of the British Commercial Intercourse with Arabia bordering
British Interoourw on the Persian Gulph, by an Assurance that they are submitted to tho consideration of the
logon^the*Parian British Government in India, in the most respectful Manner.
Gulph ' The Hon'ble Company have latterly confined their consignments to Bussora to Broad
Cloth, and Long Ells and the Sales thereof, as the Public Records will prove, have never been
encouraging. The Exportation of the Woollens Manufactures, of Great Britain, has however
been always considered as a great object, and it is therefore to bo supposed, that the Hon'ble
Company, notwithstanding the Disadvantages, under which that Branch of their commerce
labours, will continue to prosecute it, and endeavor to render it more beneficial. In order
to do so, it will be absolutely necessary, that in the purchase, in Great Britain, of
Woollens for the Bussora Market, tho most particular attention bo paid to their qualities and
colors. In former Times, when less quantities of .French Woollens, fouud their way through
the channels of the Lavant to the Markets of Bagdad and Bussora, and the consignments
of Woollens, made by the Hon’ble Company to Bussora, supplied that oity, tho oity of
Bagdad and the country of Coordistan, and part of them found their way oven to Alleppo
and Damascus, it was possible not however without Difficulty to dispose of Woollens at
Bussora, of all kinds and of inferior colors. In the present Times however, in which a
distressing scarcity of specie prevails in the Turkish Dominions, whon a Poor Man* can

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