Page 256 - 7 Persian Trade rep Muscat 1_Neat

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to classes (a) to (c) is not required in this n.pr,r(.
Imports;
Tho weekly mail s‘camera form by far the largpa.
The chief article* of import which show marked element in the figures of tonnage, entered and ol*ar»;/|
variation are stated below. Tho CgurcB aro given in and those figures aro thcrofdro misleading. For th«
laklia of rupee* :— mail steamer usually does no more than sot down and
Rice .... ♦ •01 take up a fow packages at Muscat, whoro she halt*
Wb«»t .... . --03 no more than an hour or two. Subject to these con­
liar diver . —1-73 siderations, it is placed on record that 173 steamer*
Specie .... -1
Coffee .... . —4-56 representing a tenr.ngo of 217,I'll tons outcrcd and
Sanr, cofl ... . —-2'J cleared tho port. Of theso only ouo was foreign.
Oil fof nil kinds) . -103 Tho British India Steam Navigation Companr
Cotton goodi • . —-It
Twht and yarn . . —1-13 maintained its weekly fast mail service to and fro;o
Miscellaneous . . —-80 India, but tho slow mail was discontinued -with dlc-ct
The decline abovo shown was real in all eases from tbo lc>t December 1915.
exoept cotton goods, of which tho quantity actually Thcro is no other regular service.
inemased hy 69 per cent., although tho value dimin­ Sailing Vessels.—Complete information with
ished. But, as we have already urged, all these regard to all bailing vessels which put out from Bom­
figures muBt bo accepted with caution. bay for Muscat is provided by the Bombay Customs
authorities. The solo 6onrce of information about
Exports. bunts from other ports is His Highness's Custorr.3 at
Tho variations in tho chief arrives of export are Muscat. As for exports, details of goods consigned
shown below, tho figures bc-ir.g given in lakhs of in British bottoms arc obtained when the Nakh-dus
(Captains) call at tbo Consulate to get their
rupee-3 :— articles deposited there, but no information as to the
Fi«h, dried (all kind*) . + *22 cargoes of Omani and foreiga-owned vessel! :s
Dstu, dry . -103
Date*, wet . —110 available. Only the number of such vcssles clearirg
Specie .... . —307 tho port can bo learnt from the number of passports
Cotton poodi (Muscat M’f.-c) . +1-33 issued by His Highness which arc =ent to the Con­
The export of specie by sailing ship, which began sulate for countersignature. Sixty-eight of these
on a very small scale last year, mse to more than beats owned by -Muscat subjects are shown a3 baring
fear lakhs and a half. It so much money was cleared during 1915-16, as compared with twen:/
exported in this way, it seerrj unlikely that ecp-c during tho previous year.
slionld have been imported in the samo way. Bat In so far as traffic, of which Tc-ccrd exists, is
the return is blank. concerned, 118 sailing vessels with a ’olal tonnage oi
9,591 tons entered Muscat and ICS sailing vessels
Openings for new trade. with a total tonnage of 8,532 tons cleared. Ail cf
these were British owned.
None exists at present
Freights.
Rates of transport.
Steamer freights continued to rise rapidly and by
Transport along the coast is done by sailing vessels
and is cheap. Transport inland is done by pack tho end of the year attained to an unprecedented
animals and is difficult, dangerous and expensive. height. The rates charged for certain specific
articles of export are, as usual, shown in the follow*
ing table :—•
Freight and Shipping.
The figures relating to these matters are given in Article. Destination. Batei per to-
the usual form. They have been obtained from the R*. a. r.
Consular records and from information supplied
through the courtesy of Messrs. Towell & Co. Date*, wrt . • United Kingdom 146 4 0
Steamers.—Tho port has been visited by (a) ships Do. wet or dry. India 17 0 0
SO 0 0
of the Royal Navy, (6) ships of o;her Navieg, (c) F»h. dry . . Do. 45 0 0
Mother-of-pearl •
Do.
British ships chartered by the Admiralty on their Pruit*, freih . Do. 20 0 0
way to or 6-ora tho Persian Golf Porte, and Basra, Dry lime* . . India . 7
(d) tho weekly mail steamers, (e) other ships, British Persian Gulf port* j 35 0 0
and foreign, carrying merchandise. Information a*

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