"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎٣‎٦] (١٧٨٢/١٧٩)

36
been conveyed in an English vessel to Bandar Abbas, insisted on landing
two-thirds of the cargo of the .English fleet there as piesents to the
Shah, and consequently duty-free. In 1630-31 the Company's revenue
from the customs was 550 Tumans,* in 163'2-33 only 242 Tumans, and
in 1633-34, apparently, 341 Tumans. In 1639-40 arrears to the
amount of 200 Tumans were with difficulty recovered from the Persians,
and it was hoped that 500 Tumans would be received on account of the
current vear ^ in 1640-41 the recoveries amounted to 700 Tumans. In
1643-44 the Company obtained 600 Tumans and in the next year 616
Tumans j in 1647-48 their share was 63o Tiimans, and m ]bi.>0-51 it lose
to the unprecedented figure of 750 Tumans, or more than £2,250, and was
even described as the principal item of profit in the Company's dealings
with Persia.
In some years the smallness of the amounts received was due partly
to bad trade ; but the frauds and negligence of the Persians, and even
of the Company's own servants, and refusal of payment by the Dutch
were factors of greater importance. About 1630 Captain Weddell,
being accused of a serious fault in some other connection, pled that he
had saved the Company £2,000 at Bandar 'Abbas by setting a guard
to watch the customs, and about 1633 the position was somewhat improved
by the energy and integrity of a Factor named Loftus ; but in 1637-38, on
the other hand, when the return was poor, it was reported that there had
been collusion between the captains of the Company's ships, the Factors
on shore, and the Persian officials. In 1640 some zealous employes of
the Company went so far as to recommend that force should be used
to oblige the Persians to deal honestly in the matter.
At various times it was estimated that the English share, if it could
be recovered in full, would amout to 5,000 or 6,000 Tumans, that is to
considerably over £15,000 a year; and according to Mandelslo, one of
the embassy from the Duke of Holstein to the Shah, who passed through
Bandar 'Abbas in 1638, the English were then only receiving about
one-tenth of their just dues. In 1653, the privilege of free trade at
Bandar 'Abbas having some years before been extended by the Shah to
the Dutch, the Company's servants urged that this exemption should
only be held to affect the Persian and not the English moiety of the
customs; but it does not appear in what manner this question was
settled.
•The Persian Tu man was at this time worth more than £3 English; in M'l ^
was £3-6 -8.