Page 386 - 7 Persian Trade rep Muscat 1_Neat

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flowing ft decrease of £*. 53,ff0 over Inst year’s Natural Resources—Minirals.—As fir ns is known
figures. This Amount induces £?. 146,239 worth cf there are no minerals that could be profitably worked.
iuports carried by tie bugg&low-bornc traffic. Agriculture.—Date ’rowing is the only real in/
The main imports arc rice, erffee ar.d rotten gore’s dustry of the country. Limes and mangoes c.j
ar*i*
which auk unted to £s. 305,009 of the wide total; also successfully grown, while pomegranates are the
sugar, wheat, flour nrc also largely imported. product of the Jcbcl Akbihar. Corolla are grown
Although a11 piece goods nrc shown ns imported on a small sole and could cot be fur.hor developed
from India whence they arc shipped to Muscat, owing to the limited quantity of water available.
J’-p in ond America arc serious competitors in (Lis Population.—The pjpuktion of Muscat is about
trade. 2,000 and (hit of Muttra about 20,00$. The major-
Erpotlt.—Total Exports for the year rmounltd :ty of the houses in Muscat arc cirpty or are in
to £s. 391.076 ns com j ft red with £s. 160,060 lest i ruins. Suris a sailing vessel port with a population
y*ar, showing n decrease cf £s. G.004. This includes of about 12,CO). The difficulty in obtaining water
£«. 27,096 worth of expert? carried by the buggalcw- alone prevents the increase of popfation there.
b;rne traffic as ngair.st £s. 41,656 lust year. The population of Sihar has dccroiscd to 5,000
Dry and wet dates of the value of £s. 100,19! I and is mainly concerned in the export of dates,
wire exported during the year, the share carried b ; fruits and firewood.
s.iling craft amounts £s. 17,179. The expert of v.Vt It is quite impossible to estimate the population
ditos to the United States of America cniountid of the interior. The majority of the population are
tc £s. 11,630 and to India £s. 12,186. settled Arabs.
Dry fish, specie, tobacco ar.d firewerd vcrc oho Health.—Toe climate of Muscat is extremely bad,
ltrroiy exported though o: the last it is rot possibV the heat btir.2 excessive during the greater part of
t: give ar.y figure?. The demand for firewood in the year. A damp heat isnally prevails but it is
B-.Lrein and on the Mckran Coast is keen. varied by v*rv hot winds :n May ar.d June. Owing
Legislation and Ad.ninist rc'.iov.—Government is of to the poor climate and lack of sanitation the public
tie oriental type tempered by Treaty for the benefit health is lad, malarial fever being the prevailirg
o: 3ritish Subjects, over v.-horn the local authentic* : disease. The highest temperature retarded in tLe
hive waive 1 jurisdiction. Government is carried cn j year was 110*3° and tie lowest 63*0 F.
by a Council consisting of four Ministers (PresidoLt Freight ar.d Shipping.
Xinistcr of Finance, Minister of Religious A flairs * Steamers.—The figures relating to these matters
fti 1 Minister of Justice)*. Cases agrir.st British ! are given ia the usual form.
subjects are tried by the Political Agent and IJL«
y. ijesty’s Consul, Muscat, o n principles of law adopted The port was, with the exception of 2 steamer?,
f::-a British India. Cases against Muscat subjects visited only by British ships during tie year ur.der
ate decide ! by the Council of Ministers but tie report. Tie Britirh India Steam Navigation Com­
rig at of Consular representation exists and is exer­ pany subsidiary mail steanters vf riled the port
ciser. regularly. 7-5 steamers entered an£ cleared the
Customs Administration.—Reciprocal Coirmcrcitl port during the year representing a total tonnage
of 172,392.
treaties have been executed by the Riders of Oman
with Great Britain and France. In accordance with 129 Sailing Vessels representing a tonnage of
tie terms of these all gc-odj imported into Oman 16,069 entered and cleared the port.
are subject to an import duty of 5 per cent ad vulorer, The statement bclov gives the rate of freight
determined by the price current in the local market.
PtrTonu
No export duty is levied but a charge of 5 per
cent is imposed in Muscat and the Coast ports on £ *. d.
a'J dates and other fruits from the interior. Dry Dates to India « • 1 IO 0
The Customs revenues are the main source of tie
Government’s income. Wet «*•»••• .10 0
Transport.—Transport along the Coast is by Dry Fish „ . . • . O IS 0
siiling vessel and is cheap. Transport inland is
curried out by pack animals and is difficult, danger­ Fresh Frail „ • • • .17 0
ous and expensive. The rates depend upon tie Dry limes to Persian CnH . 2 W 0
dl-iance the goods have to be conveyed and tie
difficulty of the journey.
No means of development of transport and com­ R. G. II INDR, Major, I.A*
munications exist at present owing to the exceedingly
primitive methods of the p eople of the country. Bit Britannic Majesty's Crnit/I, Muscat.