Page 353 - 7 Persian Trade rep Muscat 1_Neat

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increase is the diGicur.y in obtaining water. 1919 been completely reorganised anti placed
Sohar I133 shrunk to a'x it 5,000 and is concerned in the hands of train-id Egyptian Customs Offi­
• jjainly ia tho export of dates, frnitaal firewood. cials. The Sultan's government hope eventually
It Li quite impossible to estimate the popula­ to bring all the customs at outyling ports under
tion of tho interior. Inaccessible mountain® the unified central ad ministration.
alternate with fertile Tilleys. The majority of No customs returns are published,, but in a few
the population arc settle 1 Arabs. Se veral of tbe years if the reorganisation should prove successful
(owns such aa Nizwa- R/idaq and Xaklil are it is possible that more or less reliable customs
largo and contain for Arabia very good bouses. returns will bo available for tho majority of the
ports.
Public Health, Roadsnnd Communications.
The climate of Muscat and Muttra is exceed­ Roads do not exist except for camels and don­
ingly bad, the hot weather bcinr* alrcast intoler­ keys which are the two beasts of burden.
able owing to the cneessive heat, while the It would now be possible for au European
cold weather though physically it appears plea­
santer is actually mere dangerous owing to the trader to proceed inland did he observe tbe usual
Arab precautions, bnt it is doubtful if bis presence
prevalence of a peculiarly virulent type of mala­ would be appreciated or whether it would repay
ria. The climate of the interior is however except him.
in a few valleys very healthy and quite bearable. Total Trade.
Agriculture. The total volume of trade during tbs year has
Date growiog is the staple industry of ike amounted to £575,CO-3 as against £.r32,-2SS of the
country a ad in the valleys of the interior wbi« a i previous year showing an increase of £ 13,315 on
prcluce tbe finest type.-, it i3 carried out with tbe last year’s figures. The above figures include the
greatest skill. The writer has had considerable figures of the Buggalc \v born efrade which amount­
experience of date growing in Mesopotamia but ed to £143,623 and represents a decrease of
he has never seen anything to equal the date £148,401 on last year's figures. The return to a
gardens ox Interior Oman. Lime3 and mangoes degree of normality in the steamer service conse­
are also successfully grown, while pomegranates quent on the peace, accounts for this decrease.
are the stable product of tbe Jc-bel Akhdhar.
Cereals are grown when there is a sufficiency of Share of Trade.
water. The following table shov.’s the percentage of
Lairguago. total trade taken by each country :—
Tbe language of the country is Arabic. Hin­
dustani is generally understood and Baluchi com­ Countries. Imports. Exports. Total Percentage
monly spokc-n among tic numerous Baluchis.
Aden 4,313 4,313
Customs Administrations.
Arab Coast 4.CS4 77,800 82,101 11-33
Under tbe Comm-Errial Treaties with Great
Britain and with France an ad velorem duty of India 2,46,313 2.09.239 4,55,557 79'15
5 percent is charged ca good* imp:rted into Persia 2,174 1,768 3,912 •es
Oman.
There are no export duties but a charge of 5 Shatt-el-Ar*h 2,221 14,171 16,393 *SS
per cent is le vied in MnKafc and tbe ccasfc porta United State* of 7,560 7,560
on all date-3 and other fruits from the interior. Ajnorica. MI

as
Pomegranates are charged at special rates ____an
impost on the rebel chief of tbe Jelel Akhdhar, Other Countries . 6,375 5,875 •93
in whose country tbe fruit ia grown. (This 2,60,752 |3,14,85l 5.75,603
impost was reduced in October 1920 to 5 per 100-00
cent as part of the settlement between the Sultan
and the Oman Sheikhs).
Imports.
The Customs Department, which was formerly
®nder tho charge of a superintendent who was a The total Imports for the year amounted to
British Indian subject, bw since the lit Octobor £260,752 aa against £289,965 last year, showing