1114 OMAN
The number of vessels that cleared at the port of Maskat in 1911-12 excluding the native craft, was 255 of 359,660 tons, of which 242 of 319,589 tons were British. 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 Maskat 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 rui^ee circulates (rupee exchange 100 dollars equal to from Es. 136/2/0 to Rs. 142/12/0 in 1911-12). There is one Omanese copper coin, which fluctuates in value. The mahmudi of 20 gad (1 dollar =11^ mahmudieh) is only money of account. The weights in use are the Maskat onan which contains 237 tolas and is equal to one- third of a Delhi man; 24 Has = 1 Maskat man; 10 Maskat mans = 1 frasla; 200 Maskat m.ans = 1 bar. There is also a bazaar 7nan equal in weight to 136 dollars.
Political Agent and JT.B.M.'s Consul. — Major S. G. Knox, CLE.
Books of Reference.
Administrative Report of the Persian Gulf Political Residency. Calcutta Annual.
Report on the Condition and Prospects of British Trade in Oman, Bahrein, <fce. by F. W. Maclean. London, 1904.
Trade of Muscat (Consular Reports Annual Series), London
Goblneau (Comt« A. do), Trois ans en Asie (1855-58) New ed. [contains a chapter on Maskat]. Paris, 1905.
