1840.] Account of a Journey from Kurrachee to Hinglaj, 139 



Resident traders are only called on to close their accounts 

 at the annual settlement, but other merchants pay at once. The 

 custom duties are less than those exacted at Kurrachee, and 

 much consideration (as I was told by some Afghan merchants 

 I met there with large investments,) is shewn to all traders by 

 the authorities. On each bale of piece goods rupees 10 are levied; 

 on other articles duty is charged at the rate of rupees 32 to 

 Duties. merchants, and rupees 38 to ryoths. The prin- 

 cipal imports are cloths and metals from Bombay, sent to 

 imports and Exports, the northward; and dates from Mukron, and 

 rice from Scinde, for internal consumption; slaves also are brought 

 from Muscat, but seldom unless on private order; on each a 

 tax of rupees 5 is taken. So far have the Hindoos resident here 

 got over some of their prejudices, that the generality of them 

 employ Seedhees as household servants to clean their cooking 

 utensils. The exports consist of wool and googhul from the 

 Beila district, and wheat, ghee, moong, asafcetida, and horses 

 from Khorasan. The former article is brought in large quan- 

 tities from the hills near Shah Bilawul and beyond Beila ; its 

 quality is finer than that shipped at Kurrachee, and the cost 

 here averages from 14 to 16 rupees a maund. The oil plant 

 (Shura or Shungruf) is raised in large quantities, and both its 

 seed and oil are sent to Muscat, Gavaddel, Kurrachee, and the 

 mouths of the Indus : in Soumeanee alone I saw no less than 

 twenty mills at work. The coins in circulation in the towns are 



German crowns or rials, * and Soumeanee pice, those 



of Kurrachee not being current in the neighbourhood. There 

 Tonnage of the Port. are only six vessels of any size belonging to the 

 port, five owned by a Hindoo, and one by a Mahomedan. The 

 fishing and coasting boats are about twenty in number. When 

 walking round the town I examined the remains of the fort. It 

 appears to have been of very small extent. The remains of two 

 The Fort. bastions and a curtain on the sea side are now alone 

 discernible, and they are almost level with the ground. The bank 

 on which it stands has been partially washed away, but the De- 

 wan explained to me as the cause of its never having been repair- 

 ed, that since the destruction of the pirates by the British, it was 



* Illegible. 



