Page 211 - 7 Persian Trade rep Muscat 1_Neat

REPORT

ON THE

TRADE OE 3IUSCAT

for the year 1914-15, By Lieutenant-Colonel E- A. E, Eenn, C. I. E., His
Britannic luajesty’s Consul, Muscat.

Introduction.—Muscat is the capital and the The following gives the average rates ruling in
principal port of tie Sultanate of Oman, which the local cmrket in each mouth fop the past three
comprises a portion c £ the south-eastern coast of years
Arabia up to the entrance to the Persian Gulf.
Muscat is the only port of caU for steamers in if onth. 1012*13 1013-14 1914-15
OmaD, but as the town lies at the end of a cove
surrounded by huge rocky hills, it has no meacs
of communication with the interior. The neigh­ P.5. P.5. P.S.
bouring town of Idatrah, about 2 miles up the April . 1411 248* 144
coast, supplies this want, and is the local centre
for trade with the interior. May . 141* 149 144
Currency..—The currency of the country is the June 143 1502 145*
Maria Theresa dollar and the debased copper coin July . 145 252* 144
minted in 1895 to the order of His Highness the
Sultan. Sovereign and British Indian coins are August . 149 251* 140*
also current in Muscat and Matrah. In the September 147 153* 133*
interior these coins are exchanged at a discount.
October 150 254* 134*
Trade acconnts are kept in Mahomadis and
Gaj, imaginery coins. There are two' kinds of November 151* 152* 1312
Mahomadis, black and white. Black 20* equal 1 December 119 126
dollar and white 111 equal 1 dollar. The white 147*
is used iu wholesale trade accounts and the black January 153 147* 125*
for fruits, vegetables, etc., Most Ilundis from. February
India show their face value in mahoroadis and 147 246* 126*
not in rupees: March . 146 145* 125
20 gaj=l mohamadi
Weights and Measures.—There are two differ*
11* mohamadis = l dollar ent kinds of these, one for the Sultan's Customs
and the other for retail bazar use:—
100 mohamadis=»l toman (i) Those used by the Sullap'a Customs are :
1 Kins . . • $6 or 593,75 ozs
The rate of exchange between the Maria 1 Muscat maund
Theresa dollar and the rupee varied from Rs. 125- . $1-14 or 24 Kias or
10-0 (£8-7-6) to Rs. 145-8-0 (£9-14-0) per 100 10 Muscat maunds 8Iba U* ozs
dollars, the lowest being in March and the highest • 1 farsal*
in June. 200 Muscat maunds • 1 bahr.