Page 139 - 7 Persian Trade rep Muscat 1_Neat

REPORT

CN TUZ
TRADE OF .MUSCAT FOR TEE YEAR 1912-13

BY
MAJOR S. G. KNOX, C.I.E-, HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY’S CONSUL,
MUSCAT.

Introduction.—Muscat is the capita] and the Weightx and ifearuret.—There are two different
principal port of the Sultanate of Omit;, which kinds of these—one for the Sultan’s^Customs, and
comprises a portion of the sonth-eastern coast of the other for retail bazaar use
Arabia up to tfce entrance to the Persian Gulf.
3Iascai is the only port of call for steamers in I.—Those used by the Sultan's Customs
Oman, but as the town lies at the end of a cove are:—
surroanded by ho^e reeky hills, it has no means of 1 Kias = $ 6 or 5*9375 ozs.
communication with the interior. The neighbour­ 1 Muscat maund = §144 or 2; kias or 3
ing town of Matrah, about 2 miles up ;he coast, lbs. l4£ ozs.
supplies this want, and is the local centre for 10 Muscat maunds = 1 Parsala.
trade with the interior.
Currency.—The currency of the country is the 200 Muscat caaunds = 1 Bahr.
Maria Theresa dollar and the debased ccpper coin There is yet another weight also called cf Bahr ''
minted in 1895 to the order of His Highness the and is equal to 400 Muscat maunds. This weight
Saltan, Sovereigns and British Indian coins are i3 exclusively used for weighing salt
also current in Muscat and Matrah. In the inte­ 2. Bazaar weights are :—
rior these coins are exchanged at a discount. 1 Kias = §5*71 or 5*67 ozs.
Trade accounts are kept in Mohamadis and Gaj, 21 kias or §137 or 8 lbs. 8 ozs. = 1
imaginary coins. There are two kinds of Moha­ maund of Muscat.
madis—black and white. Elack 20^ = 1 dollar
and white 111 = 1 dollar. The white u nsed in With the excepti on of rice, which is sold in kags,
wholesale trade accounts and the black for fruits, all cereals are sold by “ palli ” and ‘* farrah "
vegetables, etc. 3Iost Hand's from India show (wooden bowels).
their face value in Mohamadis and not in rupees.
40 pallis = 1 farrah.
20 Gaj = 1 MobanadL 20 farrahs = 1 khandi.
111 Mohamadis = 1 dollar. When measuring in K palliM the measure is
100 Mohamadis = 1 toman. heaped up.
The rate of exchange between the Maria Theresa The Indian rupee is taken as one tola and is
dollar and the rupee varied from Rs. 111-8-0 to used for weighing perfumeries. The weight of .»
Rs. 152 per 100 dollars, the lowest being in April Maria Theresa dollar is called “ whoogiah ** and is
and the highest in October. chiefly used in weighing “ amber”.
The following table gives the average rates rul­ 6 = 1 rupee weight.
ing in the local market in each month for the past 8 miskals = § 1 weight.
three years:—
Ifeatvret.—l Shibr = 1 palm or 4)*. 4 thraahs
= 1 fathom.
Monlb. 1910-11 1911-12 1912-11 2 Shibirs = \ thraah or 9*. 1 ba'ab =
1 fathom.
1 thraah = T6". 1 ba’ah = 4 thraah
Ea. Rj. R*. or 1 fathom.
2 thraah = 1 yard.
April • 132 J 1324 141
May j,, 132) 137- ■ 141 1 An/*.—In all transactions the measure “Thraah”
June , 135* 141 143 is used.
July , 137* 143 146
August . 1331-5 143; 149
September 132* 142 147 Population.—The population of Muscat is esti­
Ociobtr 133* 140 ICO mated at about 10,000 persons and that of Matrah
November 133) 139; 151) at about 14,000. No regular census has ever been
December 133; 141 149 taken. Neither of these towns make any pretence
January 134* 141 152
February 134) 142 147 of sanitation. Muscat presents a picturesque ap-f
March . 134* 142| 145 pearanco from the sea, but the interior of the
town is, for the most part, mean and squalid.
235 F. D,