Manuscript of Persia and the Persian Question (Continued) [‎207r] (413/690)

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I now pass from the northern zones which fall
naturally under the influence of Russia, in which
that influence is, as might be expected, in the
ascendant, but in which, in certain departments,
it is being energetically contested by English or
Indian competition, to the southern or maritime
zone, where the balance swings almost exclusively
and unassailably to the British side. The prox
imity of Bombay, the vast merchant fleet of Great
Britain, and the consistent and intelligible policy
that has for long been pursued in this quarter
(almost the only sphere of Anglo-Persian relations
tor which this attribute can honestly be claimed)
have given to this country the trading monopoly
of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. and the unchallenged supply
from that base of the towns and villages of
Southern and, in a less degree, of Central Persia.
Three ports along this coast—Binder Abbas,
Lingah, and Bushire—receive the main propor
tions or Anglo-Indian trade. In 188$, out or85;09£
tons of shipping that entered the harbour of
Binder Abbas, 7fr’pOG were British ; at Lingah the
g roportion was 82,780 out of 119,280 tons ; and at
lushire 0^666 out of 07^775 tons. The pub
lished value of articles exported or imported to or
from Great Britain and Inaia is not aliogethev roll
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able as a basis of calculation, because other Euro
pean goods, such as French Marseilles sugar
and Austrian glass, are imported, vtd Bombay,
by English merchants in English boats, whilst at
Lingah articles which are imported by sea, and
then re-exported by land, or vice versd, are inclu- ft')
ded by the Custom-house officials in both tablosT''^^
Subject to these cjualifications, the value of imports
from Great Britain and India for the year 188$ to
Binder Abbas was £873)181, out of a total from all
countries of £087,966 ; the exports to Great Britain
and India, £130)788, out of a total to all countries
of £906,060. At Lingah the figures were :—
Imports, £203,860nut of £723,] 81;exports, £980,646
out of £688 t 809-(totals which for the reason above
mentioned I regard as uwelmblo). At Bushire.
imports, £598}3G8——Trf— £611,606 ; exports,
£183)998 out of £388,QQO. Of these ports Binder
Abbas is the starting-point of the important
caravan line running north to the large towns of
Kerman and Yozd, which are supplied, mainly
from India, with
copper sheets,
piece goods, prints, and yarn,
iron bars, lead, tin, sugar, tea,
dyes, spices, glass and china ; exporting in return
opium, wool, cotton, madder, almonds, pistachio
nuts, &c. .Thence the caravans ultimately reach
Kherasan.^V Bushire is the starting-point of the
principal caravan route in Persia, that upon
which I travelled, leading from the Gulf, vid
Shiraz, Isfahan, Kashan. and Kum, to Teheran.
Lingah is the port of tne Persian province of
Lanstan
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