'A strategical study of Persia and the Persian Gulf' [‎40] (48/150)

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stored here and at other smaller centres. Military stores, ammu
nition, etc., are imported by sea and river via Basrah. It would
take about 2 months for stores to reach Baghdad from Syria overland.
59. Supplies. —There are considerable quantities of grain i.e.,
barley, wheat and rice, and also dates exported from this area.
The amount depends on the rainfall and if the harvest fails the
export is nil. The average annual export of wheat from Baghdad
during 1907-09 was 15,000 tons. Livestock, especially sheep, is
plentiful.
60. Transport. —There is little or no wheeled transport.
Camels can be hired in large quantities, given time, and mules and
donkeys can also be obtained in smaller numbers. Large numbers
of Arab horses are exported from Basrah and a fair quantity could
always be obtained in the area ; 85,000 horses are said to be born
annually in Baghdad alone, but this is probably an exaggeration.
61. The lines of foreign trade are shown graphically on the
, .j map and it will be seen also from
(fir) foreign ra e. Table B that the great bulk is British
at present, though German articles are creeping in : of the
£2,100,000 of British trade with Baghdad, £1,000,000, goes on to
Kirmanshah via Khaniqin and £360,000 to Mosal. The advent of the
Baghdad Railway will soon alter these figures greatly.
62. Baghdad (145,000) is far the most important place in the
area, both historically as the seat of
{h) Political; the import- Caliphate, politically as the resi-
ance of certain centres, histo- dence of the local Government d
SS- Consuls and commercially as
the centre of all the trade routes. In
a military sense it is important as being the headquarters of the
XIII Turkish Army Corps. It has a garrison of about 2,500 men.
The river steamers from Basrah stop here and it is thus
a great distributing centre. There is a bridge of boats across
the river of 22 pontoons with a 30 foot roadway; 100 large sailing
boats carrying from 20 to 100 tons each are available.
Basrah (58,000), the seaport of Baghdad, is the next im
portant place in the area. There is a British Consulate here, also
a small Turkish garrison of about 500 men. Native boats of 30
tons and under are numerous and there are considerable supplies
including an average stock of 800 tons of coal.
Karbala (65,000) and Hilleh (30,000) are the other principal
towns.