Page 66 - Gulf Precis (1-B)_Neat

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Kingdom, would greatly onoreaso the Hon’ble Company’s Sales, and more
particularly so from the Directions at present given relative to the Commerce
of Raw Silk, they being of opinion that exclusive of the great Importance this
Branch Trade may of itself be to the Company, Carcm Caun would gladly take
from two to three lacks of Rupees in Woolens annually provided Raw Silk ia
taken from him in return, he having made some offers of this kind to Mr. Skipp
when at Schyras and as wo are well acquainted, that the Caun owing to the
present great Scarcity of Specie in the Kingdom receives a great part of his
annual Revenues from the Provinces of Ghilan and Schuwan in this article of
silk.
They also observe to us they are firmly of opinion, that few, if any Per six
Merchants of Credit would go to Bussora for the Purchase of Woolens, first
because they would be able to purchase them with much less trouble to them­
selves from the Russia Merchants in the Northern Provinces, and next, there is
Buoh an inveterate Enmity subsisting between the Turks and Persians, on
account of their difference in Religion, that the latter arc in Turkish Govern­
ments always insulted and generally plundered and exclusive of these, that the
additional expence and risque attending their going thither must be great. The
three routes from Persia to Bussora must in this case be as follows, either by the
vray of Shistan and Haviza; by sea from Busliire and Bunderick or by Bagdad
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in the former the road i9 insecured, and Coffala’s have been frequently plundered
by the Chaub or Bennalim Arabs, and the Imposition collected on the Exporta­
tion from Bussora and at other Places till they reach Schuster must be con-
siderable; tho. we caunot exactly ascertain the amount, that by Bushire or
Bunderick, exclusive of the risk of the sea, it must also be attended with the
charge of Freight and other expences, with an Export duty from Bussora, of
three or five per cent, and an Import of eight per cent, at Bushire or Bunderiok,
the route by the way of liagdat, owing to the present growing strength of the
Arabs, 8nd the small regard paid by them to the Turkish Government, is still
less secure than either of the former, and Messrs. Morley and Skipp estimate
that the Customs collected on Broad Cloth at the different Choukeys on the
river aDd at Bagdad must amount to at least twenty per cent. They also
add that they apprehend about one third of the vVoolen sold of late years at
Bussora, has been sent by some of these routes into Persia, and give it as their
opinion, in which from our own knowledge we concur with them, that even
could the Persian Merchants be easily prevailed on to make their Purchases of
Woolens solely at Bussora, they would even in this case considering the
expences and disadvantages above pointed out, afford to give at least twenty per
cent, more at Bushire for the same Cloths than at Bussora; and in order that
your Bonour, etc., may be more fully informed of the present state of both
Markets, we have hereunto subjoined a particular account of each in separate
Columns together with the difference between' them noted in a third. From
this'statement Your Honour etc., will observe that the present Bussora Prices
are considerably encreased (in consequence of the orders from the Presidency on
this subject) above the Terms of the Contract with Shaoda, but then the Agent
and Council write under the 29th of June 1767 that they are of opinion the
utmost that market will take off in a year will not acceed one Lack of Rupees;
and if the Bushire prioes be a little lowered in suehartioles as will admit thereof
it may probably be a means of encreasing the vend ; but at all eveuts we are of
opinion, that sortment on colours which tho merohants disliked, should not be

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