Page 212 - 7 Persian Trade rep Muscat 1_Neat

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There is yet another weight also called u Bahr ” j November till the middle or -r.d of March, th*
which is equal to 40) -Muscat maunds. This , weather is cittincUy pleasant hut fails to I,.
weight is exclusively used for weighing salt bracing as the temperature seldom falls below G<jv
(ii) Baxar weights arc :— Fahr. The rainfall averages 4 inches only nn.J
1 Kins. . . 55.71 or 5G7 ozs & >« due to this fact that -Muscat may bt
24 Kiafi or § 137 or 8 lbs 8 o/.s= 1 maund considered a fairlv healthy tnplcal port, provided
of Muscat ordinary precautions arc taken to purify the
With the exception of rice, which is Bold in drinking water hv boiling or filtration, and t*
hags, all careals are fold in palli and farrah protect oneself from mosquiks which, during tl*
winter rnontl^s, are numerous In the town and
(wooden bowls). the cause of a considerable amount of malarii
40 pallia 1 farrah amongst natives. Smull-jox occurred in Matral
20 farrahs 1 khandi 'iidab and to a less extent ir- Muscat duriug th-
latler half of the year. There were no cases <f
When measuring :n palli the mcasnre is cholera or plague during the year.
heaped up. The Indian rupee is taken as one tola
and is used for weighing perfumeries. The Agriculture.—The majority of the scttlel
weight of a Maria Theresa dollar is called inhabitants lire by agriculture, of which dak
0 wboc giab ” and is chiefly used in weighing cultivation is the principal ferm, but the moun­
" amber " :— tainous and arid nature of th? country does me
G miskals 1 rupee weight lend Itself to remunerative agriculture and tb?
quarrelsome L3lure of tbe tribesmeu docs net
S miskals §1 weight.
encourage m'Xern methods.
Government—Tbe G » r?:r.incut of Oman t
Mens ures.
absolute and sornewhot primitive. There arc 1 u
1 shibr= 1 palm or \\m law courts in tbe European sense, cases are
2 shibrs= J thraah cr 9 inches usually decided by the Sdlan and his Walls
1 thraah = 1 foot 6 Laches (Governors) in accordance with Muhammadan
2 thraahs=l yard law or lexal u.-=age. Commercial law dues mt
4 thraahs=l baah exist and claims against Arab subjects are ditficu.t
I baah=l fathom to settle.
Language.—The language of the country is
2\ol-t.—In all transactions the measure thraah Arabic; maar persons in .Muscat and Matron
is used. sjJCik Persian. Baluchi aD-l Hindustani. Busimss
Population.—The population of Muscat is communications can, however, be sent in English -
estimated at about 10,090 persons and that of The post and telegraph oS^-s at Muscat (the only
Mai rah at about 14,0(0- No regular census has on/e* in Oman) have teen established by tb-
ever been taken. Neither of these towns makes Indian Government.
any pretence of sanitation. Muscat presents Customs administration.—The Customs are
a picttircsque appearance from tbe sea, but the manag'd by His Highness she Sultan through a
interior of the town is, for the most part mean paid Superintendent, Salim bin Abdulla al
and squalid. Matrah is, if anything, worse than Kbaimri, an Arab. An import dutv, not exceed-
Muscat The interior of Oman is mountainous j 3 cent ad val) is levied by His
and the inhabitants fer the most part, arc poor. I Highness and this can U paid in kind when
1 1 2L A A AflA -f I
IliA n/.i.nUtiAn »C AptimM 4/./I
The population is eeUnxUd at aboct 500,000, of | C III I . «>
P"e vMue Ko
wu#m a COTSlderaU<: P,rr;,on ar8 nomaJ;<:- expert dutv if any kind is leviable or paid U
Public Health.—Although Muscat is frequent- merchants except an infcra-sJ transit duty of 5 p?f
ly described as one of the hottest towns in the cent on dates, which is recovered from the owner#
world, it cannot be said to be unhealthy. During of tbe produce. Tbe landing arrangements,
tbe year 1914-15 the highest temparature recorded which were in the hands of a company of 4 Arch
was 114° Fahr. and the lowest 64.0°. The merchants were given to Saiyid Yusuf az Zuwawi,
high temperatures are due to the hot also an Arab subject. Complaints of pilfering
winds, which at certain times in tbe summer have been few.
months blow from tbe Arabian deserts and barren Roads and Communications.—The remarks
rocks round Muscat. For the greater part of made in the report for 1909-1910 still hold ^ooi-
tbe summer, owing to tbe high state of humidity No wheeled tra.lic exists in the country, locomo­
of the atmosphere in 'combination with a high tion being by means of camel6 and donkeys bv
temperature the climate is very trying. From land and country craft by sea- Tbe interior i*