'GAZETTEER OF PERSIA. VOL. III.' [‎309r] (622/982)

LIN—LIN
607
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icl
It seems probable that unless the Persian Government take steps to
remove the causes of this decline, Lingeh will shortly be reduced to the posi
tion of a merely local port. The tract of which the trade is naturally depend
ent on Lingeh, lies to the north-west of it, including Bastak and Lar and not
extending beyond Jehrum, a distance of little over 150 miles. The actual
number of shops in Lingeh is 445 and of other business premises 28 ;
about 250 of the shops sell cloth and 250 provisions.
Exports from Lingeh by sea consist of carpets, rose-buds, flax-seed,
tobacco, gum-tragacanth, gum-arabic, asafoetida and a little dried fruit
from Jehrum, Ishkanan, Taraikmeh and Gallehdar : they are shipped chiefly
to Indian and Turkish ports, but some of the asafoetida, gum-tragacanth
and gum-arabic goes direct to the United Kingdom. Mother-of-pearl shells
are despatched to London and Hamburg as well as to India. Imports,
except a certain quantity of piece-goods which is received direct from
England and Germany, are all from India ; the principal are rice, wheat,
barley, ghi, sugar, loaf-sugar, sugar-candy, spices, linen, silk and cloth of
all sorts.
The carrying trade of Lingeh, in the past considerable, is not unlikely
to fall off in the future in sympathy with the general export and import
business. At the present time 2 sailing barques, 19 baghlahs and 14
ghunchaks and sambuqs belong to the port, besides 22 light 3rs ; the last are
sambuqs, baqdreqs and jolly-boats. This local shipping affords employment
to about 740 persons.
Th 3 principal resource of Lingeh, apart from commerce and navigation, is
the pearl-fishery : there are about 30 pearl-boats of size (sambuqs, bafils
Occupations other than and baqdrehs). The sea-fisheries are of some
trade. value and employ 10 baqdrehs, 17 shu’ais,
and 20 bans and varjis. Date-culture is of some importance, but other
cultivation is insignificant, in consequecne of the paucity of the means of
irrigation. There are some mechanics and artisans and Lingch is said to
be the best place in the Gulf to have ironwork made or necessary
repairs to ships executed, though the workmanship is rude.
The standard of weight is a local man, equal to 9 lbs. English, and the
standard of length a zar’ of 38 English inches. The currency is that of
Persia, but the Indian rupee, Maria Theresa dollar, Turkish lira, and
English sovereign also circulate.
Land communications and land transport are dealt with in the article
on Lingeh district, and the nature of the sea-communications may
Communications, trans- be gauged by the remarks on shipping above,
port and supplies. The water of Lingeh is generally abundant,
and cattle poultry, vegetables, rice, flour and firewood are available
in some quantity. The water from wells is brackish, and for drinking
purposes the water from birkehs is almost exclusively used. The
birkehs appear to have a capacity of 6,000 gallons each, but at times
are nearly empty.
Lingeh, as one of the Gulf Ports, is subject to the Governor of that
. . . . division, but is administered by a local Deputy
Governor. The nature of his administration is
described in the article on Lingeh district. The Imperial Persian Customs