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File 1407/1918 'Kowait Trade Reports. (1911-1930)' [56r] (116/746)
The record is made up of 1 volume (368 folios). It was created in 26 Jun 1912-12 Aug 1931. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
3
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 and Navigation.
Kuwait owns about 254 sailing vessels engaged in
carujing trade as distinct from pearling and fishing
bo£~ x . of these 63 having a carrying capacity of
over 100 tons> including 80 of over 300 tons and 21
over 230 tons.
Forty-five boats were employed constantly in
bringing drinking water to the town from the Shatt
al-’Arab. On an average six such boats arrive
daily and bring 48,000 gallons of water worth £40 >
These figures are not included in the Report
returns.
The British India Steam Navigation Company
maintain a weekly service from India and a fort
nightly service to India.
The steamers owned or chartered by (1) The
Bombay Persia Steam Navigation Coy.’ Ltd., (2)
The Nimazi Steam Navigation Coy. Ltd., (3) The
Hansa Steam Ship Coy. Ltd., (4) The Eastern Steam
Navigation Coy. Ltd. (5) The Strick Line Ltd.,
also called as inducement offered.
The rates of freight by the British India Steam
Navigation Coy.’s steamers was £1 from Bombay
and Karachi to Kuwait and from Kuwait to Bombay
and Karachi was £1-13-4 per ton respectively,
throughout the year.
The average rate of freight by the other lines was
£1 per ton from Bombay and Karachi to Kuwait
’ and vice versa.
Sea Fisheries.
The only truly local produce of Kuwait is that
yielded by the harbour fisheries, which are a valu
able asset. Besides float-and-weight nets and lines,
traps or tidal weirs, constructed df 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.
from 1 s. to Is. id., a carpenter from is. to 8s., a
mason from 3s. to 9s. and a boat-builder from is.
to 8s. per diem.
Minerals.
The only mineral product worked is gypsum
mortar, which is manufactured by the simple process
of firing rubbish in broad shallow excavations.
There is a large gypsiferous 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 Hasa, are found in the town. These
are sometimes over thirteen 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 environs can boast of any
agricultural resources. There are no date planta
tions 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 princi
pality is Jahrah which is greatly improved during
the year owing to the facilities afforded by motor
transport in taking the products into town. The
staple crops are wheat, barley and lucerne but,
melons, water melons, pumpkins, beans, and some
other vegetables are also grown in increasing quan
tities. There are some 2,500 date trees. The
above crops are mostly irrigated, but a small amount
of wheat and barley is grown by rainfall alone. The
agriculture of Jahrah might be considerably in
creased if more money were sunk in it.
The next important agricultural centre is the
island of Failakah where wheat and barley are grown
with some success on the clayey patches, also some
vegetables specially carrots, which are of an ex
ceptionally fine quality but the agriculture of the
island is generally inferior to that of Jahrah.
Boat Building.
Forty boats of an aggregate value of £4,467 were
built during the year. Of these one had a carrying
capacity of about 90 tons, and the rest were all
small. These figures are not included in the trade
report.
Labour.
The price of labour remained nearly same as fo r
the previous year. An unskilled labourer earned
Rainfall.
The total rainfall during the year was 5-OS" and
was distributed as follows :—
April 1927 .
■13"
May 1927
•or
November 1927
•95'
December 1927
. - 66 '
January 1928 .
. 221 '
February 1928 .
March 1928 .
. 35'
*72'
About this item
- Content
The volume comprises telegrams, despatches, correspondence, memoranda, and notes relating to the Kuwait trade reports for the years 1912-1930.
The printed reports cover the period 1 April to 31 March and follow a similar format: a general narrative and sections on imports, exports, customs administration and lighterage, freight, shipping and navigation, sea fisheries, boat building, labour, minerals, domestic animals, agriculture, rainfall, public health, exchange rates and weights.
Also included are statistical tables showing total imports and total exports by country. Further tables show total imports and exports of principal articles and by sailing craft and steamers and by quantity and value.
Principal articles listed for imports include anchors, animals, arms and ammunition, barley, bamboos, cars, carpets, building materials, charcoal, coal, fruits, firewood, furniture, glass, goat hair, gunny bags, ironware, marine stores, oil products, petroleum, potatoes, rice, sail cloth, tobacco, and wood.
Tables for export of principal articles (by buggalows and steamers) list the item and the country to which it is exported. These include animals (to India), barley (to Muscat and Germany), and shark-fins (to India). Export destinations listed include India, Bahrain, Muscat, Germany, the Persian Coast, and Turkish Arabia A term used by the British officials to describe the territory roughly corresponding to, but not coextensive with, modern-day Iraq under the control of the Ottoman Empire. .
Many of the reports include a map of Kuwait (folios 32, 54, 76, 95, 117, 145, 161, and 198).
The report is sent by the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. , Kuwait, to the Secretary to the Government of India in the Foreign Department and then forwarded to the Permanent-Secretary, Political Department, India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. , London. Covering minute papers of the Secret Department note the year of the report and sometimes also give a viewpoint.
The volume includes a divider which gives the subject number, the year the subject file was opened, the subject heading, and a list of correspondence references by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (368 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the volume.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 370; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/10/738
- Title
- File 1407/1918 'Kowait Trade Reports. (1911-1930)'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 2r:370v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence