'DIARY OF A TOUR IN THE PERSIAN GULF AND IN TURKISH ARABIA, DECEMBER, 1906 (WITH MAP)' [‎12v] (24/106)

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(iii) Stride & Co. —Shipping.
(iv) Mac Andrew, Forbes d Co.,
American firm.—Exporters of
liquorice.
(v) Basra Trading Co., British
firm.—Exporters of dates and
grain.
(vi) Messrs. Woitdrfiaus & Co.,
German firm.—Agents for
Hamburg-America line.
(vii) Russian Stea?npship d Trad
ing Co., of Odessa, also has an
agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. .
Lynch & Co. have engineering works
and a dock for their river steamers under
the charge of an English engineer at Magil
about six miles up the right bank of the
river. They employ native hands whose
wages range from Rs. 40 to Rs. 60 per
'mensem. t
The chief crop is dates. Wheat and rice
are largely exported and also some barley.
The water-supply is from the river
It is very muddy and is brackish at high
tide. Filters are a necessity.
Large flocks and herds graze on the
banks of the river but would be quickly
driven off by the tribes. No statistics are
available as to transport resources. Camels
can be obtained at Zobeir, nine miles
west of Basra. Arab horses are brought
into Basra in large quantities in Septem
ber, October, and November for shipment
to _ India. The best come from Neid
Prices rule higher in Basra than in
Bagdad. Arabs look after their horses
well They have blankets at night in cold
weather. Stables have open sides and
matting roofs. There is no wheeled trans
port and there are no contractors. It was
ascertained that camels could be hired
for about 1 rupee per diem.
The inhabitants are meat-eaters but
live principally on dates. Rice is stored
in Basra but wheat is stored along the
banks of the Eurphrates and the Shatt-el-
ai and brought down to Basra for export
when the river rises in May.
Tomatoes, cabbages, marrows.
Dates are very plentiful. Oranges,
melons in the summer.
Fish are caught in the river in nets and
small ones in traps along the river bank.
A fence of twigs placed close together is
constructed in the river about low-water
mark. This is almost covered at high tide.
The falling tide leaves the fish stranded
inside the fence.
Repairing facilities.
Crops.
Water.
Animals.
T*
r
Food supply.
Vegetables^
Fruit.
4 1
Fish.