"دليل بلاد فارس، المجلد I ويشمل محافظات أستراباد، شاهرود-بوستان، خراسان، وسيستان" [ظ‎‎٩‎٣] (٧٢٢/١٩١)

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GHAZ (or Gez) — Lat. 30° 46' 40', Long. 54° S' 10"; Elev.
A village in the Astarabad Bay, near the south shore of the Caspian, 23 miles
west of Astarabad, 4 miles from Ghaz Bandar. It is a large straggling
village of 300 houses. Eastwick says ot it, ‘‘A more pestiferous jungle den
can hardly be imagined/’— (Eastwic/c.)
-Lat.
Long.
GHAZ (or GEZ) BANDAR, or PERWALE.
Elev.
A post in the Astarabad Bay on the south-east corner of the Caspian Sea,
27 miles west of Astarabad. It is really but a small village on the sea beach,
consisting of about 20 wooden houses, which look as if they had been built
from packing cases, inhabited chiefly by merchants and custom-house
officials. There are some Russian subjects, Armenians chiefly, who are
engaged in a gradually increasing business. Exports are put on board
Russian ships, as Persians are not allowed to have any vessels on the sea
that washes their northern shores. The ships are mostly schooners or sailing
vessels. Ghaz is the only port on the south coast into which vessels
larger than steam tugs or small coasting craft can enter. It has, owing to
the neighbouring naval station of Ashurada, become practically Russian.
The Russian maintain three war steamers for the protection of Russian settleis
and of sailing vessels from Astrakhan from the attacks of Turkman pirates.
The pier is a wretchedly constructed and very dangerous looking affair,
running out into water deep enough for a ship’s boat to come along. The
caravanserai is built on a good plan, and might be made comfortable.
Large quantities of merchandize are landed at Ghaz for the Khurasan market,
and likewise exported to Russia and Turkey, that from Astarabad, Skahrud,
and Mashhad converging here. The best and most numerous steam vessels
of those that call at Ghaz belong to the Kafkas Merkure Company. Ghaz
might with improved roads compete for a time with Rasht for some of the
Tehran trade; but the completion of the railways from Tehran to Rasht,
and Rasht to Baku, would undoubtedly tend to increase the importance of
Anzali as compared with Ghaz. Goods destined for Constantinople and
Western Europe are shipped at Ghaz for Baku, whence they are forwarded
by road to Tiflis.
In 1882, the Collector anticipated the revenue from customs dues would
amount at Ghaz to 26,000 tumans. The table below for the year ending
22nd March 1881 exhibits fairly the exported trade of. Ghaz :—
Exports.
Silk
Inferior silk
Cotton
Wool
Furs and skin
Dry fruits
Lead
Rice
Corn, &c....
Miscellaneous
Total
lb.
Imports.
lb.
... 40,000
Sugar
1,800
... 2.800
Unrefined sugar
670
... 4,000
Tea
1,200
... 4,000
Inferior tea...
12,000
... 21,200
Piece-goods ...
256,000
8,000
Iron
3,600
3,500
Copper
1,950
180
Steel
1,500
200
Cast iron utensils
800
... 2,400
Crockery and hardware ...
Brass utensils
7,520
6)0
... 86,280
Total
287,640
[Eastwic/c, Baker, Stewart, MacGregor, Lovett.)