'The Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society. From January 1863 to December 1864. (Edited by the Secretary.) Volume XVII.' [‎77] (242/524)

AROUND THE SHORE LINE OF THE PERSIAN GULF The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . 77
139. The Sheikh said that his family had always been tributary to
Turkey. But I learned from another source, that during some years
they had hoisted their own flag. They found, however, that the Cus
toms levied on their exports to Bombay, were more inconvenient when
levied against an unrecognized flag than when levied against a Turkish
craft. Koweit, shrinking from this foreign pressure, turned to her Sul
tan, and suddenly changed colour. Truly trade is sensitive as woman's
modesty.
140. Be the Suzerainty of the Sublime Porte however of old or
recent date, it is merely nominal ; the Arabs acknowledge the Turks
as we do the 39 Articles, which all accept and none remember.
141. The territory directly under Turkey is that of Busreh. It
does not fall within my charge, nor on
Class No. 7. the Gulf shore, unless at one point not
worthy of analysis, Faon.* One is
struck by the extent of the ruins at Ashureeah, out in the desert, near
Zobeir ; but on examining the country, it is found that this site was
well chosen as being the last healthy spot, not flooded, and a point the
nearest practicable at once to the Zobeir bunder ; to the land still
covered with a network of hundreds of Bunds lying between the Zobier
Creek and the Busreh Biver, and to the line of the Shat-ul-Arab itself.
142. As to Busreh itself, whose revenues may be as per margin, it
looked to me, when seen from
a house top, like a blending of
Itoree and Nuggur Tatta in
Sind; the same out-skirt of
date trees and half discarded
canals ; the same river frineine:;
o o 5
the same irregular tumble down
piles of mud-brick houses ; with
a gleam here and there from a
ruined tesselated minaret or mosque of better days ; the same dirty pictu
resque children ; the same flat roofs, walled in for privacy, yet every
where over-looked ; the same wonder how the place ever got half built,
and whether anything was ever new, finished, or repaired ?
Goods to the value of from 15 to 20 lacs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees
rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. from Bombay, in piece goods, pepper,
sugar, miscellanies.
Goods to the value of from 5 to 10 lacs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees
rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. from Baghdad.
Exports nearly 40 lacs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. worth of
dates, of three qualities, known as 1 st,
2nd, and 3rd sorts.
Customs dues are levied according to a
Tariff of from 5 to 10 per cent; the average
may be 8 per cent.
* In my opinion, Faon would ill suit our purposes. Its climate and locality amid
Delta marshes would render it fatal to Englishmen,