'Travels in Assyria, Media, and Persia, including a journey from Bagdad by Mount Zagros, to Hamadan, the ancient Ecbatana, researches in Ispahan and the ruins of Persepolis, and journey from thence by Shiraz and Shapoor to the sea-shore. Description of Bussorah, Bushire, Bahrein, Ormuz, and Muscat, narrative of an expedition against the pirates of the Persian Gulf, with illustrations of the voyage of Nearchus, and passage by the Arabian Sea to Bombay.' [‎354] (385/582)

354
DUTIES ON MERCHANDIZE.
The duties on merchandize exported and imported are regu
lated by the package and quality of the goods, and not fixed by a
per centage on their value. Rice and sugar pay each half a rupee
per bag; sugar-candy, a rupee per tub; indigo, fifteen rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. per
chest; pepper, cassia, cloves, cardamoms, and other spices, six
rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. per bag; camphor, two rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. per box; China ware, four
rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. per chest; Mokha coffee, two rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. per bale; and sweet
meats, three rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. per package. The duties on Indian piece-
goods vary considerably, according to their quality, but average at
about ten per cent.; and those on the European articles, of cloth
iron, steel, lead, and tin, at not more than five per cent, on their
invoice price. The duties on the exports or returns are still less;
horses and money, which form the greatest portion of these re
turns, are both exempt from duties of any kind, as well as old
copper, and Persian carpets ; dried fruits pay only one rupee per
package ; assafoetida, a rupee per jar; rose water, two rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. per
case of several bottles ; and Shiraz wine is free.
It is a common practice for the Governor to appropriate to
himself such of the merchandize passing through his port as may
be convenient to himself, either for his own immediate use, or
to speculate in as an article of commerce ; but, instead of paying
for such goods when thus taken, he suffers the amount to stand
over as a balance in favour of the owners of them, to be liquidated
by remitting them the duties on further imports, till the amount
is made up. This is naturally an obnoxious mode of dealing,
in the estimation of the merchants; but they have no remedy.
During our stay here, the Governor was engaged in a war with
some villages on the plain behind the town, and was much in
want of lead for musket-balls. This want, instead of increasing
the demand for, and consequently the price of the article, as it
would naturally have done under any well-regulated government,
had actually the effect of stopping the supplies of this metal,
which were laid in expressly for the place. A vessel lying in the
roads had on board several hundred slabs of lead, shipped at