COMMERCE
863
The following figures from Persian Gulf Consular Reports and from reports published l»y the Persian Custom House relate to the foreign trade of the year 1897.
—
Imports
Exports
Total Tonnage
British Tonnage
Entered
Cleared
Entered
Cleared
Bushiie . Lingali . Bunder Abbas Mohainmerah
£
1,145,329 582,472 381,562 121,407
£
392,532
548,464
230,781
41,608
113,857
115,300
94,140
72,973
111,398 92,070 88,850 80,944
99,914 93,050 87,920 68,928
98,123 73,500 82,980 75,950
Total .
2,230,770
1,213,385
396,270
373,262
349,812
330,553
The trade at these ports in 1897 was distributed mainly as follows : —
Countries
United Kingdom India . France Turkey China .
Imports from
^^P^°^"*^ I Countries
Imports from
Exports to
£
868,600
843,390
75,216
55,747
10,950
£
120,847
475,742
2,546
37,868
225,760
Persian Ports Arab Coast . Muskat Bahrein Egypt.
£
74,330 225,931 29,965 23,673 10,505
£ 85,611 189,118 32,874 22,701 17,283
The trade at these four ports in 1897 was mainly in the following articles : —
Imports.
1897
Exports.
1897
£
£
Rifles .
118,171
Rifles .
14,905
Cottons .
931,879
Opium .
258,894
Sugar
126,437
Pearls .
225,349
Tea
101,912
Shell
23,396
Pearls
224,537
Dates .
42,910
Rice
75,711
Hides, Skins .
22,826
Wheat .
37,127
Wool
53,017
Indigo .
41,192
! Carpets .
36,790
Copper .
27,534
Cotton .
54,353
Coffee .
18,168
Rice
41,943
Specie .
189,341
Specie .
j
277,550
At Tabriz in the year 1896-97, the total imports amounted to 64S,920Z., including Manchester T-cloths, shirtings, and printed cottons, 264,000/.; woollen goods from Austria, 80,000/. ; tea, 70,000/. ; sugar from Russia, 100,000/. The exports amounted to 227,530/., including carpets, 102,000/. A large trade is carried on with Russia through Resht on the Caspian. In 1896 the imports into the Resht district via Baku amounted to 842,655/., and included sugar, 514,311/. ; silk-worm seed 67,200/. ; tissues, 81,400/. ; bar silver, 30,000/. ; petroleum, 15,000/ The exports to Riissia via Baku amounted to 365,342/., including rice, 177,220/. ; fruits, 42,350/. ; raw cotton, 40,740/. ; tea, 31,890/. In the year 1896-97 the trade of Khorasan through Meshed was : Imports from India by Bombay and Bunder Abbas, 89,547/. ; from Russian territory, 92,547/. ; from Afghanistan, 6,206/. ; through Turkey, 19,740/. Exj.orts to India, 19,681/. ; to Russian territory, 80,320/. ; to Afghanistan, 15,073/.