Page 324 - 7 Persian Trade rep Muscat 1_Neat

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Ownings for new trad-?.—None exists at present.
Fates of tran pot l.—Transport along the coa.?t 13 done by sailing vessels
nnd is cheap. Transport inland is done by p::ck animals and is difHcult, danger­
ous sr.d expensive. The rates oC transport depend upon the dishneo the goods
have to bo convened and the difficulty of the journey.
Freight and shipping.—The figures relating to these matters aro given in
the usual form. They have been obtained from the Consular records and from
information supplied through the courtesy of Messrs. 17. J. To well & Co.
Steamers.'—The port was with the exception of 1 steamer visited only by
British ships. The British India Steam Navigation Company mail steamer did
not visit the port regularly owing to the dislocation in the steamship services
duo to the war.
45 steam vessels entered the port during the year under report representing
a total tonnage of 03,628. 42 vessels cleared the port representing a tonnage
of 57,857.
196 sailing vessels representing a tonnage of 21,572 entered the port; 185
sailing vessels representing a tonnage of 20,149 cleared the port.
The statement below gives the rates of freight:—

Per ton.
Ra.
Diy date3 to India 25
Wet dates to India 13
Dry 6eh to India 35
Fresh froita to India 50
Dried limes to Persian Galf 55
General.—The return of imports and exports are ba~ed on the figures
comoi’ed from the actual steamer manifests access to which has readily been
given by the courtesy of Messrs. 17. J. Tovell and Company, local agents for
most of the shipping companies* vessels calling at Muscat. No figures are
available from the Customs. Figures for sailing craft entering Muscat and
Muttra are compiled from the Consular records.
No records are available for the large trade of Sur which possesses some SO
trading dhows voyaging to Basra, India and the coast of Africa, nor for the not
inconsiderable trade cf the small Batineh coast porta. Competent authority
estimates the total trade of these ports as at least half the trade of Muscat and
Muttra. During the year under report it would be not far wrong to assume a
total trade of Its. 40,00,000 for these ports. This would bring up the total
trade of the Sultanate to approximately Rs. 1,20,00,000 for the year.

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