12 PERSIAN GULF DATES. 



into Kurrachee and other parts of India onl} T small quantities of dates. 

 Among them, however, is one of the finest in the world, called the 

 "Mozaty," which is packed in date sirup in small earthen jars and is 

 sold as a great delicacy on the Kurrachee market. Little is known 

 about the other varieties of this region, except that they are reported 

 to ripen very early, even as early as June. A guard is necessary in 

 order to visit the region, as the inhabitants are quite uncivilized and are 

 continually at war with each other." Maskat itself has few palms in 

 its immediate vicinity, but some 50 miles in the interior, at Semail, at 

 least half a million trees are said to be under cultivation, while along 

 the Batna const is a region which, according to Vice-Consul Mackirdy, 

 is 60 miles long and a half mile wide and is packed with date palms. 

 These two areas are believed by Mr. Mackirdy, who is an old resident 

 in Maskat, to nearly equal in size those of Bassorah and Mohammerah. 

 They furnish 1,000 tons of dates for export to America and the total 

 yearly export from Maskat is estimated roughly at 30,000 tons, which 

 is second only to Bassorah in amount. Maskat has the largest date 

 export from the gulf to Indian and other Asiatic ports. Owing to its 

 southern latitude and excessive heat the dates of Maskat ripen earlier 

 (some of them in June) than those farther north. 



Back of Jask, which lies on the opposite coast of the Gulf of Oman, 

 large gardens of dates are said to exist, but about the place itself 

 scarcely a palm is to be seen, and the surroundings of the latter are 

 almost a complete desert. Six da} T s' camel ride into the interior, at a 

 place called Bashkala, some especially fine varieties are grown and, 

 according to Mr. G. W. Mongavin, of the Id do-European telegraph 

 department, who was stationed for some years at Jask, the dates from 

 this region are the finest he has ever tasted. How extensive the orchards 

 are is unknown. Fort}^ miles from Bunder Abbas, on the Persian coast, 

 are the plantations of Minab, which are almost as large, it is said, as 

 those of Bassorah and Mohammerah. These are the plantations which 

 furnish the dates for consumption on the Persian Gulf, and, in the pick- 

 ing season, which is in June and July, the inhabitants of many small 

 villages along the coast migrate to Minab, where dates are much 

 cheaper than at home, to live for several months. The varieties, in 

 part similar to those of Maskat and Bassorah, are inferior in flavor 

 and keeping quality. Those tasted, late in the season it is true, had 

 decidedly harsh skins, and were inferior in every way to any of the 

 good Bassorah sorts. 



The town of Lingah, in Persia, which owing to the quarantine 

 restrictions was seen only from the steamer, is fringed with date 



« The native servant, whom Lieutenant Grant was kind enough to dispatch to 

 Pangh Ghur in search of palms for the expedition, was turned back at Kej, some 

 seven days' caravan journey from the former place, but luckily secured at Kej palm 

 shoots, which the chief of the place reports are of the Pangh Ghur variety "Mozaty." 



