Page 439 - 7 Persian Trade rep Muscat 1_Neat

REPORT ON THE TRADE OF MUSCAT FOR
THE YEAR 1923-24.

The Maria Theresa dollar fluctuates in value
Introduction. considerably, being affected by the world price of
Bi'lver, by the local demand In the date season, and by
Muscat U the capital of the independent Sultanate the state of the Bahrain pearl market,
of that name situated at the easterly corner of Trade accounts are kept in Mohamadis and Gajh,
Arabia. Its seaboard is nearly 000 milc-H long and imaginary coins. There arc two kinds of Mohamadis
extends from Tibbat on the west side of Cape Mua- —black and white. Balck 20$= 1 dollar, and white
•.(□daiu round Ras Sajir rather over 200 miles due ll$= l dollar. The white is used in wholesale trade
north of the island of Socotra, with the exception of accounts and the black for fruit, vegetables, etc.
n small strip on the east coast of the Mussendam Most hundis from India show their, face value in
peninsular from Dibbeh to Khor Kalba which is the Mohamad is and net in rupees,
administration of the minor Chiefs of True ial Oman.
The Sultanate extends inland to the borders cf the i?}GM?hamadf. ! . =1 Moham-adL
Great Desert, but of late years the Omanis have 100 Moharaadi.* . r=l dollar.
. =1 Tomta.
become virtually autonomous and are now more
fiibject to the Imam of Oman and his lieutenant The average rate of monthly exchange between
Shaikh Isa bin Saleh than to Ilis Highness the Sultan the Maria Thcrc-a dollar and the rupee va ried from
of Oman. The iutcrior is for the most part mountain- Rs. 197 to 136-0 per 100 collars, the lowest being
ous, the high country extending do wn to the sea coast in March J923an i :hehighe-tin July 1023.
in a series of arid rocky heights though vegetation The dollar rato fluctuated fxcm *Rs. I6T to 180-6
exists on the higher mountains. North west of per 100 dollars. It was highest in July 1023 and
Muscat the sea coast littoral tract is fertile and pros- lowest in March 1924.
perous and date groves extend along it for over 100
miles. This strip is known as the Batinah Coast and
it is to here that the Lillmen from Oman finding the
•truggle for existenc too keen in the face of a de­ Werights and Measures.
creasing water supply are gradually descendin'? and The weights used In the Customs department are
forcing out the date and fisher folk. The remainder now prescribed for use in Muscat, Matrah and the
of the coast with one notable exception is barren and Coast towns.
forbidding and rarely visited by Europeans. The
exception is Dhofar which is the name of the small They are :—
fertile district comprising a group of villages at the 1 Kiya* - = the weight of 6
■sojth west corner of the Sultanate. Gwadur a port dollars or iJ*9375
on the Mekran Coast and a small tract ol country 07J».
round it also owns allegiance to Muscat It is the 24 Kivna . — 1 Muscat leaned.
10 Md*.
. = 1 Fara*sls_
last remnant of the Omani possessions on the Persian 200 Md*. . = 1 Babar.
side of the Gulf.
The town of Muscat once so important and pros- Rice is sold by the bag ; other cereals by the
uerous has been falling into decay for years now. following measures:—
Most of the trade goc3 to tue sister port of Matrah
which is the starting point of the trade route to the 40 P*li» . = 1 Farrah.
-nterior, but Muscat still remains the Capital and 20 Furaha . = 1 KhandL
»C3t of Government.
The rupee which weighs one tola, and the dollar
of which the weigh: is called 14 Aukia ” are used for
weights drugs and perfumes. One Aukiat equals
Currency. eight Miskals:—
The Currency of the country is the Maria Theresa
dollar and the copper coin minted in 1895 to tbe JadtrurM (Linear)
^-rder of His Highness the Sultan, in Muscat and I Sl.ibr . . — I Hand of 4$ ioobM-
*Utrah sovereigns, Indian Currency notesand Indian 4 Shibr* . ** 1 Dbira cr «ubit<
c'Jpccs are generally accepted. 4 Dhiraa . «= 1 B*’ or F*ibom.

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