Slave Trade Correspondence [‎30r] (59/900)

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA.
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DEPARTMENT OE AGPMCULTDRE, REVENUE, AND COMMERCE.
Report on the Trade of Muskat by Major Ross, 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. and Consul.
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[Extract from Administration Report of Muskat Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. for 1871 72.]
TRADE.
Traders.— A o-^trad^of “ tuflistd
“Tic^ortsTf Sohar, Shinas Khabooteh, Masnah, Suweyk, and Burka on the Batinah coast,
and at Soor in the south.
Muskat being the central depdt, a large proportion of both exports and imports of all
Oman passes through it.
<5 p „ r TViore are sixteen square-rigged ships and about forty buglas belonging to
Mus"f^Ve»teTroS ofV sJLrne /rado being carried in vessels harlrng
from India and the Gulf.
Nature of Trade.— Muskat owes much of the value of its trade to its bemg conveniently
and Arab coasts.
Similarly, small native vessels bring dates from all quarters, some of which aie shipped
for America and other places in square-rigged ships.
Exports—Dates.— Of the staple productions of Oman itself, the date is by far the most
considerable orown mostly in the vicinity of hills affording perennial springs. Entire t al1
^Kru^kno^vn, though fluctuations do occur. America now takes several ships
load annuafly of the kind called Fard. It is there used as an article of luxury.
Cotiox — A small quantity of cotton is grown in Oman, hut what appears as an export
is fro“ a Ad Pe,sil the Indigenous cotton being most y —ed - -nuf^
A peculiar cotton of a huffish color is grown, and the cloth made bom it muen
natives of Muskat. It is called Madhmij, from the Persian Uud-reng, self-colored.
Other growths.— The other indigenous productions are inconsiderable, and consist of
suo'ar and various kinds of fruits, notably the lime.
/"»£• fi-,r> mnnnfactures. only the cotton fabrics aie v oitii
- Batinah coast. The raw cotton Is
from Persia and Mekran.
Pearls. A large quantity of pearls of the Gulf are first brought to Muskat and thence
exported to^India.
" Salt.— Bock-salt is brought from the Persian coast, and from Kishm and Ormuz, and
afterwards shipped to Calcutta in square-rigged ships.
. "~PutItIs^worth^of remark thatln^former* times^nskat^ook^Malatar
mainly from Bengal , but it is w y scarcely any is taken from that side.
Duringthe landed J thJ value of S l,0 2 0,000.
COEEEE.-It is also remarkable that the coffee of India has superseded that of Yemen
almost entirely.
The annexed tables* show approximately the average yearly value
of the trade. The system of custom house arrangement, of course,
precludes the possibility of obtaining precise and accurate returns. An
estimate for the last year has also been attempted—tables.f
✓*
* A, B, C.
fD, E, F.
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