'The Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society. From January 1863 to December 1864. (Edited by the Secretary.) Volume XVII.' [‎42] (207/524)

42
REMARKS ON THE TRIBES, SoC-
39. As a general rule, the Arab circles of villages are farmed
and administered by their own Sheikhs, who anange their own civil
disputes, and pay a lump sum of revenue per annum. Murder would
he compensated by blood money ; but the Sheikh would not send th e
murderer to Bushire for punishment. I he Sheikh in turn would
levy rent on the farmers by the cow. A cow is supposed to plough
land enough for 4 maunds of seed barley and 4 maunds of seed wheat
A farmer asks his neighbour, for instance, how many cows he is sowing’
The crop borne by a cow of land pays 15 Kraus or so per annum in
money, and one maund of wheat and one of barley apparently for
Kurneh, or expenses in collecting.
40. But in case of a Persian circle of villages, or a Persian port,
(not like the Dashties sufficiently strong to defend itself,) the Hakem
or Sheikh, or Moollah, would be removed from his Government at the
pleasure of the Bushire Governor. Criminals would be sent to Bushire;
and revenue, if not punctually paid, would be levied by Mohussil, or
failing this way, by force.
Vide paragraph 13.
41. Beviewing the trade of this coast line as you pass along it
from the North Southwards, the first port that comes under notice
is that of Bunder Deelum. It is a small, busy, open town, clustering
round a square fort. It is one of two
points, the other being Hindeean, already
remarked on, where sea borne trade lands to follow the Behhelian
line; Zeitoon, the point of general trade, convergence on the Hindeean
irvei, is distant fiom Deelum about 5| fursacs* The stream is crossed
by a raft, or in the low season at a ford a mile or two before you reach
Zeitoon. formerly Zeitoon returned 9,000 Tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. customs per
annum, but now yields only 3,000 Tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. . This falling off, like that
of both population and revenue, along the entire coast line from
Mashoor to Cougoon, is attributed to the absence of attraction between
the Government and the people, and to the consequent emigration or
idleness of the latter. Deelum, like all other por ts along this coast,
i& a mere entrepot, and the number of its resident inhabitants does
not adequately represent the extent of its commerce. Zeitoon is a fine
a ricultmal distiiet. I he trade of Deelum. may be roughly stated as