'GAZETTEER OF PERSIA. VOL. III. PART II: L to Z' [‎323r] (650/988)

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SHI—SHI
942
Cotton fabrics. —Till very recently the British manufacturers and shippers
had the market entirely in their own hands, and Russian stuff was rarely
seen on the market. Now, however, Russia has begun sending her fabrics,
and especially her prints, down south, and the bazars are full of Russian pro
duce. The rush is an artificial one entirely, and every sale entails heavy loss
to the Russian manufacturer and Government. The average loss by the
varying exchange is great, and to this must be added drawbacks and other
accommodations and assisted freights. The Russian prints are copies of
English designs, lacking somewhat in finish, but the cloth, though narrow
of width, is universally described as good, though more coarse than English,
unloaded and dyed in fast colours. Since Russia began to work in Shiraz
it is said British imports have fallen off by about 4,0U0 bales per annum.
Madder. —No madder is produced in the vicinity of Shiraz, but about 1,000
cwts. of root are handled on the Shiraz market. Shiraz imports this from
Isfahan, Yazd and Abrqub. About 300 cwts. are exported again, going
mostly to Bombay. The rest is used in Ears. Price per kharwdr (650 lbs.)
tumans 8$ to
Opium. —Three thousand chests (of 27 tumdn Tabrizi) are exported to
Hong-Kong and to England, and 500 chests used locally. The heavy ex
port duty placed on opium, lately increased from 5 to 14 per cent, ad valorem,
and the fact that it used to be very largely adulterated with gum ganjideh
(O F) hit the export opium trade very hard. There are many grades of
opium. Prices range at present according to quality from 20 tumdns to
34 tumdns per Shiraz man of 7'25 lbs.
Gum, tragacanth. —Shiraz is the great collecting, sorting and distributing
centre for the gum, some of the stuff, about 30,000 mans Tabrizi, coming
from as far away as Rafsinjanand Hamadan. Some of the best and purest
gum, though this is not equal to the best that finds the sea at Ahwaz, is
produced near Bajgah, not far from the town. The United Kingdom and
India take about half of what Persia produces, and Russia about a quarter.
The gum is sorted into five main classes. In sorting, the waste averages
4 per cent. The following are approximate quantities and average prices :■—
Class I 3,0G0 mans Tabriz . . Krdns 28 to 34 per man.
Ganjideh. —This is tasteless and odourless gum, which looks not unlike
gum arabic. A few years ago the gum was almost valueless. Then its use
as an adulterant for opium was discovered. The price went up- at once,
till the gum was fetching 50 to 80 krdns per man Tabrizi, and “ opium ”
was being exported to China that was over 90 per cent, ganjideh, until
the fraud was discovered. Opium is still adulterated with ganjideh, but
mostly for the home market, and, though enquiries have been made from
China, where men would not mind getting hold of such an excellent adulter
ant, ganjideh quotations have now dropped to 10 krdns and 4 krdns.