'General information on Persia for any future edition, 1895' [‎26v] (50/211)

8
OUR TRADE WITH THE PERSIAN GULE.
the mainland), a small island, the water shoaling from it for
four miles till a depth of four fathoms is attained. Y essel15 ’
therefore, have to lie off four miles in the open roadstead .
Communication with the shore is maintained by small native
sailing boats, and these, when there is<tny wind, or the wea
ther is rough, cannot be used. Altogether, Bushire is no por
for extensive trade. Land-ward the traffic has again to cross
a shoaled-up arm of the sea, some six miles wide ; and be
yond that, on the way to Shiraz, there is no proper road, and
none is feasible. . , r ™ i • *
In exhibiting the exports and imports for Bushnc, to
avoid prolixity, we note only such of the exports and
imports as exceed .£10,000 in amount. Opium was
exported to the value of £ 338,594 i cotton £ 43,563 i
tobacco £38,418 ; fruits and dates over £30,000 ; mother-of-
pearl shells £19,053 i gum £«3,578 i provisions and oilmans
stores £12,522. The grand total of all the exports was_
£571 816 ; added to which there was specie to the amount ot
^ ■ 59 054. In the previous year rose-water, raw silk and raw
cotton, each rose to over j£io,ooo ; but in these articles,
especially in raw wool, as well as in grains of sorts, there is
considerable fluctuation from year to year. Of the grand total
above noted, there went to British. India, including British
Colonies, £131,273; to Great Britain £70,657; to China
£307, 582; to Turkey £67,653 ; to Egypt £30,431 ; and to all
other countries £8,127 ;—the total for all other countries,
except Great Britain and India and British Colonies, being
£413,793. This is more than double the total for England
and her possessions, the amount for China alone exceeding it
by half as much again. The details of the imports (above £10,000)
are cotton goods, £628,970 ; loaf sugar (in this there is a
considerable fluctuation from year to year) £69,368 ; soft
sugar £69,555 ; metals £54,758 (here also there is con
siderable fluctuation); manufactures of metals £14,158 ; tea
£49,669 ; indigo £32,468 ; spices £13,690 ; drugs and
medicines £10,598 the grand total being £1,023,470, to which
must be added specie £6,445. During the preceding year
imports of woollen goods, porcelain and chinaware, amounted
to over £32, OOO ; but in these items there is considerable
fluctuation. Of this grand total of imports, there came from
Great Britain £563,738 ; from India and the Colonies £ 371,754 5
and from the rest of the world .£76,852. It will be seen
hereafter that the proportions of exports and imports between
Great Britain and her possessions and the rest of the world, are
very different in the other ports. The total tonnage that
entered Bushire, of sailing vessels, that is, small native craft,
was 13,440 ionS) in 222 vessels, of which 25 of 3,000 to>is were