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‘Report on the administration of the Persian Gulf Political Residency and Muskat Political Agency for the year 1879-80’ [‎323v] (77/161)

The record is made up of 1 volume (80 folios). It was created in 1880. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

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66 ADMINISTRATION REPORT OP THE PERSIAN GULF The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. POLITICAL
these caves from the trickling- of brine, stalactites of various shape and
magnitude are formed, yielding- snow-white masses of salt of saccharoid
description.
The salt occurs in four principal forms: 1^, pure white masses
easily reduced to granules; Ind, red masses of stony hardness; Zrd,
saccharoid masses from trickling of brine; and Uh, translucent and
transparent masses of cubical forms. In some of the tianslucent
specimens I found pure crystals of sulphur adhering- to or enclosed in
the mass. The granular form is the one of commercial value. It is
o-enerally of a pure white colour. One specimen was of a darkish
colour from an admixture of specular iron ore and to a small extent a
metallic sulphide (bismuth ?). The red, hard blocks of salt are principally
used by the natives for salting fish. Indeed the existence of such an
extensive deposit of salt in a district where fishery is carried on to such
a large extent seems to be a provision of the Almighty for the benefit of
his creatures.
The salt is dug out by means of crow-bars. Sometimes during the
working of these mines people are buried alive from earth-falls. The
mines which yield the present salt are situated about half an hour's
walk from the sea-shore ; the path leading to them winds between the
rocks, and is difficult for the camels. The salt is brought on the beach
by the camels, costing about four and a half krans per " Bahar " of 400
maunds of nine pounds each, and taking the custom charges at one and
a half kran and the cost of quarrying at a dollar, the total cost of the
salt on the beach would amount to dollars per " Bahar." Recently
salt of a very good quality is being quarried from the rocks close to
the cave described by Mr. W. Johnston, the distance from the beach
being only about a hundred yards, so that the cost of carriage is saved
to the miners.
The salt mines at Hameran are also extensive; they are situated
about an hour's walk from the sea-shore. The salt occurs in beds of
about four feet thick with intervening layers of earthy material. The
salt-beds are hard in consistence, and are broken by means of gun
powder, the masses being subsequently reduced to granules by wooden
and iron mallets. Some of the specimens here are of a pale greenish
colour from an earth of that tint; this earth exists in isolated deposits
and mounds varying from earthy softness to stony hardness, the green
tint seeming to depend upon Manganese. The quarrying expenses
here are about one dollar per " Bahar/' camel-hire being four and a
half krans, and boat-hire to Lingah being three krans, making a total
cost of 2^ dollars per " Bahar." Should the vessels demanding salt
go to Hameran, boat-hire would be saved to them. No doubt in the
working of these mines improved implements of quarrying, improved roads
and means of carriage would greatly facilitate the work and reduce
labour. Large quantities of salt are exported by native boats to
Muskat, whence it is carried by merchant vessels to Bengal, Zanzibar,
Mauritius, Batavia, &c., and merchant vessels bringing rice, sugar, &c.,
to the Gulf, also on their return take a cargo of salt, generally at
Lingah. On an average from 25 to 30,000 tons of salt are exported
annually from these mines; the best specimens being from the Kishm

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Content

Administration Report on the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. and Muskat [Muscat] Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. for 1879-80, published by Authority at the Foreign Department Press, India (Calcutta), and forming part of the Selections from the Records of the Government of India, Foreign Department (No. 171) and based on reports sent to Government by the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. and the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. at Muscat. The report is preceded by a copy of a letter sent by Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Charles Ross, Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , to A. C. Lyall, Secretary to the Government of India, dated 30 June 1880, which enclosed the submission of the original reports to the Government of India (folios 290-91).

The report is divided up into a number of sections and subsections, as follows:

1. General Report for 1879-80 , prepared by Ross (folios 291-308), which is divided a number of small reports, organised by region, as follows: 1. ’Omán or Muskat State; 2. Pirate Coast; 3. El-Bahrain; 4. Nejd, El-Hasá [Al-Hasa] and El-Katr [Qatar]; 5. Southern Persia; and 6. Bassidore [Bāsa‘īdū]. The reports detail the state of local affairs in each region, including relations between tribes and rulers, disease, incidents of piracy, migrations. The report for Southern Persia contains a separate report for Fars. The report for Bassidore includes reports on: political appointments; royal naval activity, postal affairs; observatory activity; and administration of the trade in mules in Persia. Four appendices follow the report: A. List of Guttur (or El-Katr) [Qatar] ports and names of chiefs and main tribes; B. Terms of a mutual agreement entered into by the Trucial Chiefs of the Oman Coast through the medium of Hajee Abul Kassim, Moonshee, specially deputed on this service, and Hajee Abdur Rahman, Government Agent, Arab coast, dated 24 June 1879; C. tabulated meteorological data from the Bushire Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. Observatory; D. Notes upon the breeding, treatment, etc., of the Persian mule, and upon Persia as a source of supply for mules, written by Lieutenant I MacIvor, Assistant Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. .

2. A Memoir on Nejd , prepared by Ross (folios 308-21), comprising an outline history of the Wahábees [ Wahhābī A follower of the Islamic reform movement known as Wahhabism; also used to refer to the people and territories ruled by the Al-Saud family. ] of Nejd and the Ál-Su’ood [Āl Sa‘ūd] Amirs, from 1691 to the present day, and a number of appendices: A. Genealogical of the Āl Sa‘ūd; B. List of principal districts and towns of Nejd; C. Tribes of Nejd; D. List of authorities and sources of information availed of in preparing Memoir of Nejd .

3. Report on trade for 1879, prepared by Ross, dated 26 May 1880 (folios 321-56), comprising a summary of the year’s harvest and trade; the Commercial Treaty; customs duty; assistance to vessels in distress; prohibition export of specie exceptions; notice of prohibition of export of produce; mercantile tribunals; protection of British subjects; introduction of industrial machinery and agricultural implements. Three appendices follow: A. Report on the salt caves and mines and the trade in salt in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , written by the Assistant Surgeon, Abder Raheem, Bassidore, 20 March 1880; B. Tabulated list of productions [summer and winter agricultural planting) of Fars; C. Tabulated trade statistics, indicating the quantity and values of imports and exports in the region, lists of goods traded, and nationality and tonnage of trading vessels.

4. Administration report of the Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. , Muskat, for the year 1879-80 , prepared by Major Charles Grant, His Britannic Majesty’s Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. and Consul, Muscat (folios 357-65), comprising: an overview of the political situation in Muscat, changes in British personnel at the Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. ; the slave trade; marine events; and trade. An appendix of tabulated trade statistics follows the report, detailing nationality and tonnage of vessels visiting Muscat, and lists of imports and exports.

Extent and format
1 volume (80 folios)
Arrangement

The report is arranged into a number of parts and sections, with tabulated statistical data directly following written sections. There is a contents page at the front of the report (folios 288-89), which refers to the report’s internal pagination sequence.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: There is a foliation sequence, which is circled in pencil, in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. of each folio. It begins on the first folio, on number 285 and ends on the last folio, on number 364.

Pagination: The volume contains an original typed pagination sequence.

Written in
English in Latin script
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‘Report on the administration of the Persian Gulf Political Residency and Muskat Political Agency for the year 1879-80’ [‎323v] (77/161), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/V/23/37, No 171, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023580190.0x00004f> [accessed 18 October 2024]

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