File 1407/1918 'Kowait Trade Reports. (1911-1930)' [‎34r] (72/746)

3
q 4 valorem is charged, and there is no Export Duty
except on goods brought in from the interior, such
as clarified butter, hides, wool, etc,, on which 4
per cent, is charged if exported.
The arrangements for lightering and landing cargo
at Kuwait are superior to those at any other port
in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. .
^ Freight, Shipping end Navigation.
Kuwait owns about 260 sailing vessels engaged
in carrying trade as distinct from pearling and fish
ing boats i of these 63 having a capacity of over
100 tons, including 80 of over 300 tons and 21
pver 230 tons.
Fifty boats were employed constantly in bringing
drinking water to the Town from the Shatt-al-’Arab.
On an average eight such boats arrive dally and
bring 50,000 gallons of water worth £55.
The British India Steam Navigation Company,
Ltd., maintain a weekly Service from India and a
fortnightly Service to India.
The steamers owned and chartered by (I) The
Bans* Steamship Company of Bremen,' Qermw
(2) The Stfick Line, Ltd., of London and (3) Elfcr-
man and Bucknal Line of London also called during
the year under report, but their service has not
been a regular one,
The rates of freight by the British India Steam
Navigation Company’s steamers was £1 from Bom
bay and Karachi to Kuwait and from Kuwait to
Bombay and Karachi was £1 13«. id. per ton res
pectively, throughout the year.
Communications.
Kuwait is fortunate enough to possess a Com
bined Post and Telegraph Office worked by the
Posts and Telegraphs Department of the ‘Iraq
Government. Foreign rates of Postage and Tele
grams Charges are applicable from Kuwait to the
United Kingdom and other countries. As a rule
Mails for the United Kingdom and the Continent
are now despatched from Kuwait via the Overland
route Baghdad-Haifah and the time taken in transit
averages 14 days. Parcels from the United King
dom for Kuwait take 3 to 5 weeks by the above-
mentioned Overland route.
The Kuwait Motor Transport Company which is
also under a Postal Contract with the ’Iraq Posts
and Telegraph Department for the conveyance of
both Sea Mails from India and Overland Mails
from Basrah and vice versa continued to function
between Kuwait and Zubair and maintained the
road in good condition. The fare by this Com
pany’s motors is eleven shillings by car and seven
shillings by vanette and the journey each way on
average occupies 4 to 5 hours.
St* Fisheries.
The only truly local, produce of Kuwait is that
yielded by the harbour fisheries, which are a valu
able assett, Besides float-and-weight-nets and lines,
traps or tidal weirs constructed ef reed hurdles
are also employed : the fish enter them with the
flowing tide and are left behind at the ebb. The
majority of the fish caught is consumed locally,
but a small proportion is dried and exported to
Basrah and elsewhere.
Boat Building.
Fifty-eight boats (of which one was of 40 tons
capacity and fitted with motor power of British
make) of an aggregate value of £8,947 were built
in Kuwait during the year under report. Of these
six had a carrying capacity pf 90 tqns each, and
the rest were all small. These figures are net in
cluded in the Trade Report.
Labour.
The price of labour remained nearly the same
as for the previous year. An unskilled labourer
earned from 1$. $d. to 2 shillings, a carpenter from
4 shillings to 8 shillings, a mason from 2s. %d. to 9
shillings and a boat huildgr from 4 shillings to 8
shillings per diem.
Minerals.
The only mineral product worked is gypsum
mortar, which is manufactured by the simple pro
cess of firing rubbish in broad shallow exacavations.
There is a large gypseferous tract on the outskirts
of Kuwait Town and it is found in several other
parts of the principality.
Domestic Animals.
The most valuable domestic animals are camels,
of which there are large numbers, sheep, goats and
donkeys, of the latter many of a large white breed
originally from Hassa, are found in the Town.
These are sometimes over 13 hands in height, and
a good one will fetch about £20. There are also
some horses and a few horned cattle.
Agriculture.
Neither Kuwait nor its environments can boast
of any agricultural resources. There are no date
plantations of any value, no fields, and not many
kitchen gardens. The villages to the south-east
of Kuwait supply a limited but increasing quantity
of vegetables and melons. The agricultural centre
in the principality is Jahrah which has greatly
improved during the year owing to the facilities
afforded by motor transport in taking the product
into Town. There are some 2,500 date trees. The