'File 27/4 Miscellaneous Trade Reports' [‎155r] (314/702)

4 ?
/
increase is the difficulty in obta’ning water.
Sohar has shrunk to about 5,000 and is concerned
mainly in the export of dates, fruit and firewood.
. It is quite impossible to estimate the popula
tion of the interior. Inaccessible mountains
alternate with fertile valleys. The majority of
the population are settled Arabs. Several of the
towns such as Nizwa A Rostaq and Nakhl are
large and contain for Arabia very good houses.
Public Health.
The climate of Muscat and Muttra is exceed
ingly bad, the hot weather being almost intoler
able owing to the excessive heat, while the
cold weather though physically it appears plea
santer is actually more dangerous owing to the
prevalence of a peculiarly virulent type of mala
ria. The climate of the interior is however except
in a few valleys very healthy and quite bearable.
Agriculture.
Date growing is the staple industry di the
country and in the valleys of the interior whii-h
produce the finest types, it is carried out with the
greatest skill. The writer The lowest of the four classes into which East India Company civil servants were divided. A Writer’s duties originally consisted mostly of copying documents and book-keeping. has had considerable
experience of date growing in Mesopotamia but
he has never seen anything to equal the date
gardens of Interior Oman. Limes and mangoes
are also successfully grown, while pomegranates
are the stable product of the Jebel Akhdhar.
Cereals are grown when there is a sufficiency of
water.
Language.
The language of the country is Arabic. Hin
dustani is generally understood and Baluchi com
monly spoken among the numerous Baluchis.
Customs Administrations.
Under the Commercial Treaties with Great
Britain and with France an ad velorem duty of
5 percent is charged on goods imported into
Oman.
There are no export duties but a charge of 5
per cent is levied iu Muscat and the coast ports
on all dates and other fruits from the interior.
Pomegranates are charged at special rates as an
impost on the rebel chief of the Jebel Akhdhar,
in whose country the fruit is grown. (This
impost was reduced in October 1920 to 5 per
cent as part of the settlement between the Sultan
and the Oman Sheikhs).
1919 been completdy reorganised and placed
in the hands of trained Egyptian Customs Offi
cials. The Sultan's government hope eventually
to bring all the customs at outyling ports under
the unified central administration.
No customs returns are published, but in a few
years if the reorganisation should prove successful
it is possible that more or less reliable customs
returns will be available for the majority of the
ports.
Roads and Communications.
Roads do not exist except for camels and don
keys which are the two beasts of burden.
It would now be possible for an European
trader to proceed inland did he observe the usual
Arab precautions, but it is doubtful if his presence
would be appreciated or whether it would repay
him.
Total Trade.
The total volume of trade during the year has
amounted to £575,608 as against £532,288 of the
previous year showing an increase of £13,315 on
last year's figures. The above figures include the
figures of the Buggalow Large trading vessel. born etrade which amount
ed to £143,628 and represents a decrease of
£148,464 on last year's figures. The return to a
degree of normality in the steamer service conse
quent on the peace, accounts for this decrease.
Share of Trade.
The following table shows the percentage of
total trade taken by each country :—
Countries.
Imports.
Exports.
T°t%l
Percentage.
Aden .
...
4,313
4,3)3
Arab Coast
4,664
77,800
82,464
1433
I ndia , *
2,46,318
2.09,239
4,55,557
79-15
Persia
2,174
1,768
3,942
•68
Shatt-el-Arab
3,221
14,171
16,392
285
United States of
America.
• *
7,560
7,560
1*91
Other Countries .
5,375
5,375
•93
2,60,752
3,14,851
5,75,603
100‘00
Imports.
The Customs Department, which was formerly
under the charge of a superintendent who was a
British Indian subject, has since the 1st October |
The total Imports for the year amounted to
£260,752 as against £289,965 last year, showing