‘Persia – especially Seistan’ [‎425v] (849/949)

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The proportion of the cotton sent north as compared with that gain? to India
via Bunder Abbas, lias for many years been as 9 to 1, and this notwithstanding
the greater cost of carriage to Shahrud (13 to 20 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. per khnrwar) as com
pared with that to Bunder Abbas ( 6 * to 12 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. per kharwar) This differ
ence in the cost of carriage is due, apart from the gi eater length of the Shahrud
journey, to the fact that Samels going to Shahrud have mostly to return empty,
whilst those going to Bunder Abbas can always And cargoes to carry back.
The prices offering in the north have not been much moie enticing than those
offering in the south. Seventy to 90 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. per kharwar at Sha n ud as com
pared with 60 to 80 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. at Bunder Abbas, whilst the rates of carriage
to the north are, of course, very much greater. There has so lar been a strong
demand in the north, whilst demand was w eak in the south. 1 Ins northern
demand was always more or less artificial (see MacLean s report, page 34,
paragraph 54 ), and the war has caused a slump, which has ruined many of the
smaller merchants. Northern caravans are now returning with last year’s
cotton. Consequently it is anticipated that much ot this will be sent down to
Tlunrlor A ViVltl.e
The cotton is short stapled, but an improvement, I think, on the cotton of
Sirjan. There is, it is declared, a possibility of the cultivation being increased,
should demand increase (see separate note, P. S.).
The cotton season extends, as in Sirjan, from April to October, and the
methods of cultivation are tlie same in both places. Attempts have been made
to introduce a long stapled cotton, but thfse ha^e failed so far owing, it is
stated, to the summer being too short (American and Egyptian). There are at
present some four cotton presses in Bahramabad, but there is no room for the
establishment of a ginning mill. An 'merican ginning machine has been
tried, but turned out a failure, as it broke the staple and made the cotton
almost useless. Hence cotton is hand-cleaned as in parts of India, but the
exported cotton is mostly sent out in a half cleaned condition.
Ten maunds of cotton pods yield about & maunds of Maluj (half cleaned
cotton) and those o maunds yield about 2 J maunds of finest cleaned. The
local cost of the Maluj is from 35 to 38 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. per kharwar.
For export this is packed in sacks and half pressed bales for convenience
of carriage. Camels take from 50 to 70, and donkeys from 24 to 34 maunds,
Tabriz, “ accordingly as the merchants quaintly put it to the pleasure of the
Charvaidars ”.
Wool, rare. —All the wool produced is used locally for carpets, none being
available for export. The wool is mostly obtained from the nomad tribes.
The other chief products are :—
Gum, Tragacinth. —100,000 maunds produced. All sent to London. Price,
first quality, krans 8 to 10 per maund.
Opium. —500 to 60u maunds. All used locally. Price 12 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. per
maund.
Assafcetida. —About 100,000 maunds produced. Nearly all goes to India.
Madder.—30,000 maunds produced. Half exported, mostly to Russia,
half used locally. Price 9 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. per kharwar (100 maunds).
Pistachios. —A better quality than at Sirjan. 50,000 maunds produced.
All exported to Bunder Abbas. Price 4 to 4 J krans per maund.
Almonds. —The merchants handle some 105,000 maunds per annum for
export. Price 2 krans per maund.
Leather. As in Sirjan, there is a certain amount of inferior leather made
locally. All sheepskins are retained mostly for turning into postheins, &c.
Goatskins to the number of between 5,000 to 0,000 are sent down to Bunder
Abbas, whence they find their way to the Arab coast.
Imports. —The chief imports of Rafsinjan are —
. Cotton fabrics and prints. —Of which I send you a range of samples with
prices attached. Ihe imports of grey goods and shirtings average, as far as
could be ascertamed, 20,000 pieces. 8