Page 293 - Travels in Arabia (Vol 2)_Neat

274 COAST OF ARABIA. [cn.

greater part of the freight, they ballast with
sugar; but the usual practice is to proceed to
the Malabar coast, where they take in cargoes
of the same articles as the Bengal ships; in
addition to which, they bring annually from

the port of Bombay four or five hundred
tons of pig lead, which is landed at Mokha,
and afterwards disposed of to the Somalies
at Barberah.
The imports from Surat consist wholly of
Cashmere shawls, tissue, flowered and em­
broidered muslin, with other valuable cloths,
amounting, on a yearly average, to the value
of six lacs of dollars*. Most of these articles
are carried by the pilgrims to Constantinople,
and a great part is also purchased by the
resident merchants, and consigned to their
agents at Cairo.

From Bushire and Bussorahf the principal
imports are wheat, tobacco, and Persian car­

pets. The latter are mostly purchased by
the Bedowin Sheikhs, in whose tents one at
least is considered as indispensable. From
thence are likewise brought the dates of Bah­
rein and Bussorah, which are much esteemed

• Six hundred thousand. t Abii-shehr and Basrah.