File 2869/1906 Pt 2 'Arms traffic: Mekran Coast and Baluchistan. Correspondence (1908-9)' [‎19v] (47/554)

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It is very difficult to get any reliable and
comprehensive information as to the total
trades in rifles and ammunition with the
Persian shores of the Gulf.
The Masqat merchants, like most
tradesmen, exaggerated the amount^ and
value of their business, and, as trade rivals,
they did not know the statistics of other
firms, and were not inclined to impart the
truth about their own.
[Malcolm put last season’s trade with
the Persian coast (Afghans, Baluchis, Per
sians, North-West Frontier Region of British India bordering Afghanistan. tribes), down
at 200,000 rifles, but our man considered
this greatly exaggerated.]
To arrive at even approximately cor
rect totals, it would be necessary to have
men stationed permanently at Masqat,
Jashk, Chahbar, etc.
The Arab trade is particularly hard to
estimate, as the Arabs are buying rifles
in small lots of tens and hundreds all the
year round.
We have the following few points to
go on :—
A.—Mahi Khel and Kharotis seen at
Bandar Abbas, Jashk and Karachi, and
questioned separately, all gave more or less
the same information with regard to the
big caravan they got through last year.
They say that this caravan reached
full strength at Bazman, and from
there on it consisted of over 1,500 camels
carrying 30,000 rifles with 200 rounds
per rifle (less one boat-load of ammuni
tion, probably about 100,000 rounds),
The distribution of this caravan they
give as:—
Murad Khel 6,000 rifles : Kharoti 12,000
rifles; Mahi Khel 12,000 rifles : Total 30,000
* ~ }S.
^rom another source one of our men
heard that the Nasero tribe had imported
3,300 rifles, but it is probable that these
are included in the above 30,000.
B.—If we try to arrive at the figures from
the number of camels taken, we get nearly
the same number.
Number of rifles exported to Persian coast dur
ing winter season, 1907-08.