1148 OMAN
Total exports 1918-19, Rs. 36,34,848 ; chiefly dates Rs. 18,37,363 ; fruit, Rs. 28,655 ; fish, Rs. 2,95,291 ; limes, Rs. 26,025 ; cotton goods, Rs. 88,800 ; hides and skins, Rs. 42,750. Total imports for 1918-19, Rs. 43,49,471; chiefly rice, Rs. 18,04,769:coffee, Rs. 3,57,081; sugar, Rs. 1,05,349; piece goods, Rs. 2,44,558 ; silk and silk goods, Rs. 4,000 ; twist and yarn, Rs. 16,116 ; wheat and other grain, Rs. 1,13,597.
Total imports from India, Rs. 42,68,823; Persia, Rs. 54,000. Trade is mainly in the hands of British Indians, and the imports and the exports are mostly from and to India. All imports are suhject to 5 per cent, ad valorem duty. There are no export duties ; imports for re-export by the importer within 6 months are not suhject to transit duty. 1
The number of vessels that cleared at the port of Muskat in 1918-19, including the native craft, was 174, of 70,580 tons. The Arabs of Sur, near Ras el Hadd, maintain a large coasting trade, and also traffic in native craft with India, and the East African coast and islands.
There is a mail weekly from and to Bombay, and Muskat is connected by cable with the Indo-European telegraph system.
The common medium of exchange is the Maria Theresa dollar. On the coast, but not in the interior, the rupee circulates (rupee exchange 100 dollars equal to from Rs.212 to Rs.254 in 1918-19). There is one Oman - ese copper coin, which fluctuates in value. The muhammadi of 20 gaj (1 dollar = 11| muhammadi) is only money of account. The weights in use are 1 Kujas = the weight of 6 dollars or 5.9375 oz. ; 24 Kujas = l Maskat Mannd ; 10 Mannds = l Farasala ; 200 Mannds = 2 Bahar. Rice is sold by the bag ; other cereals by the following meaiures : — 40 Palis = 1 Farrah ; 20 Farrahs - 1 Khandi. .
Political Agent and IT.B.M.'s Consul. — R. E. L. Wingate, I.C.S.
Books of Reference.
Administrative Report of the Persian Gulf Political Residency. Calentta Annual.
Report on the Condition and Prospects of British Trade in Oman, Bahrein, Ac, by H. W. Maclean. London, 1904.
Trade of Muscat (Consular Reports Annual Series), London,
Oobineau (Com te A. de), Trois ans en Asie (18S5-5S) New ed. [contains a chapter on Muskat]. Paris, 1906.
1 The above figures of imports and exports include trade carried on by sailing vesnels which, however, is very imperfectly registered.
