'A strategical study of Persia and the Persian Gulf' [‎47] (55/150)

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In the 'Oman principality the settled population is given as
470,000 and the nomadic as 30,000.
An estimate of the numbers of fighting men and armament of
each section is given in Table F.
75. Supplies. —The resources in food stuffs of the Arabian lit-
, p toral are very small and as regards any
esources. surplus available for troops engaged
on military operations entirely negligible. Dates are the chief
agricultural product and date palms are extensively cultivated,
wherever conditions admit. Wheat and barley are also grown to
a very limited extent in some areas. Fuel and fodder are very scarce
in most districts. The most fertile portion of the coast is along
the northern slopes of the Hajar mountains, in the valleys of
which wheat, barley, maize, millet and bajra are grown as well
as small quantities of lucerne, sugarcane, tobacco and indigo,
Generally speaking all food stuffs for troops would have to be
imported from oversea.
76. Transport. —The transport animal of the country is the
camel, and owing to the scarcity of water and lack of fodder, any
force operating inland from the coast would have to depend entirely
on camel transport. No reliable statistics are available, but it ia^
probable that large numbers exist. As, however, these are prin
cipally owned by the Arab tribes of the interior it is improbable
that many would be obtainable, if required for operations in
this region. There are also a large number of donkeys in
the country. These are extensively used at the seaport towns.
A few horses are bred in the interior, but owing to lack of
fodder are seldom seen in the coast regions.
77. Foreign trade with the Arabian littoral is mostly in British
^ , hands. Its volume and extent is shown
(c) Foreign Trade. graphically in the map dealing with
the subject. In addition to the foreign trade depicted on the map
there is considerable traffic carried in native dhows from port
to port and with the ports of the Persian littoral. The principal
imports are cotton goods, food stuffs and arms, and a considerable
number of slaughter cattle are also imported from Persia. The ex
ports mainly consist of pearls and dates. The chief centres of over
sea trade are Kuwait, Bahrain and Masqat. By far the greater
proportion of the trade of the last two places is with India, which
also participates to the extent of one-third in the trade of Kuwait.
The trade in arms along the Arabian littoral is dealt with separately,
as a political feature of considerably importance.