"بلاد فارس والشأن الفارسي من إعداد السيد المحترم جورج ناثانييل كورزون، عضو البرلمان." [‎٢‎١‎٤] (٧١٤/٢٤٩)

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PERSIA
through Khorasan to Russian territory, the figures of export to
Russia (some of course in transit to other European countries)
amount to a total of 111,500/. Cotton, assisted by the
L X to 0rtS ' differential preference before alluded to, is responsible for
Russm t j ie lar g, e gg Ure 0 f near ly 43,000?. Wool is credited with
about half that total. 5,700/. worth of Turkoman and Persian
carpets are sent to Europe, not all, of coarse, to Russian destinations.
Finally, out of the total output of turquoises from the celebrated
mines near Nishapur, which is estimated at nearly 23,000/. an
nually, over 17,000/. were despatched in 1889 by the Iranscaspian
railway to Europe.
That some idea may be gained of the enormous increase in
Russo -Persian trade, due to the prosperous working of the i rans-
Growth of Caspian railway, let me compare the figures that I have
Riisso- nriven with those of the first nine months of 1886,
Persian . . -i i • -rv i
trade the railway having only reached Ashkabad m December
1885. From January to October 188G the exports from Persia
to Ashkabad equalled 61,000/., the imports to Persia from Ashkabad
37,000/. The totals for 1889 were, as 1 have shown, respectively
111,500/., and 110,400/. In other words the exports have very
nearly doubled in the space of three years, while the imports
have exactly trebled.
Against these imposing figures the export trade to British
India can only oppose the modest total of 39.000/., nearly the
whole of which is represented by Khorasan opium, in-
tended chiefly for the Chinese market. Ten years ago
the total output of opium in Khorasan w r as only 160 hundred
weight. The value of the export, over and above that which is
consumed in the province, is now 37,100/. to India, as well as
14,300/. to Constantinople, or a total of 51,400/.
In order to complete the survey of the commerce of Khorasan,
the figures of Perso-Afghan trade must be added. There is very
little difference in the respective values ot imports and
exports, either country contributing in about equal pro
portion to the needs of the other. Whereas Afghanistan,.
however, sends her indigenous sheepskin coats (^poshtins), pistachios,
&c., the bulk of Persian exports are Russian piece goods, sugar,
and hardware. The value of the exports from Khorasan into
Afghanistan is returned as 18,300/., of imports into Khorasan from
Afghanistan as 17,300/.
Perso-
Afghan
trade