'Military Report on Persian Seistan' [‎22v] (49/188)

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The maiu imports are Indian and Russian piece-goods, tea (Indian), copper,
brass utensils, cast-iron, spices and dates from Jalk
ommerce. u am tobacco from India. Exports,— Grain, hides,
feathers, wool, camel and goat's hair and ghee.
Exports go mainly to Meshed, Bunder Abbas or Quetta by the Nusbki
route. The returns of trade along the Nushki trade-route for the last
four years are 1897-98, Rs. 6 89.929; 1898-99, Ks. 7,28,082; 1899-1900,
Rs. 12,35,431 ; 1900-1901, Rs. 15,34,452.
It must, however, be noted that Seistan is not likely, at any rate for some
time, to be able to pay for any large amount of imports, as the people are
poor and have not many wants, and produce nearly all they require to satisfy
their simple wants.
There are practically no industries bar agriculture
Industries ^ w hi ( b majority of the population are engaged.
A small quantity of coarse cotton cloth is woven for home use, and dyed
with indigo for men and red ochre for women. Some coarse gun-powder
is also manufactured.
The Baluch women make carpets of very good quality.
Friday is observed as a holiday. All labour for the local Government is
forced. Before the British Vice-Consulate was estab-
Libour. lishcd in Seistau no wages were ever paid for labour.
When any work was required to be done, each village in turn had to supply a
certain number of men for a certain period. The rate of wage for an ordinary
coolie A term used to describe labourers from a number of Asian countries, now considered derogatory. which the British Vice-Consul has fixed and which is accepted by the
Kussians and Belgians, is 6 shahis per diem for adults. Boys’ wages are 4 to
5 shahis a day. Skilled labourers, such as masons, are paid from 1 to 3, and
even 4 krans, a day. The local British merchants generally manage to get
a slightly cheaper rate than this.
The agricultural productions of Seistan have already been enumerated under
ducti n8 h ea< b The natural productions are limited in
variety, and not very profuse in growth, except in
special localities. The absence of trees is very remarkable, and has been
ascribed to the a wind of 120 days." It is probably really due to the
supineness and want of energy of the rulers of the country, and a system
of government that stifles all private enterprise. The representative plants
are the tamarisk, the willow and the mimosa, various species of salsola, and
the reed and bulrush.
The tamarisk is of two kinds, the ghaz and taghaz. The ghaz forms
thick forest belts in the river*l)ed, and on the borders of the Hamun north
of the Kuh i-Kwaja; its timber is hard, and is used for ploughshares.
There is a dwarf variety which grows in moist, sandy and saline tracts, and
in the river-bed; its long twigs are used for basket work, and the wicker
frames of the temporary huts called palas. The taghaz is used for fuel,
and burns well and without much smoke. The willow, of three varieties,
grows with the tamarisk along the river-bed.
A dwarf variety of the sensitive mimosa is found on arid, gravelly wastes,
and supplies excellent pasture for camels and flocks. In similar situations is
found the common zizyphus—thick, thorny bushes affording grazing for
camels and goats.
Various smaller grasses and plants are found, and on the saline valley of
the Harut Rud, where it approaches the Hamun, the caroxylon forms an
impenetrable jungle, eight or ten feet high.