— 45 — 



Results of the last 13 clove harvests: — 

 Zanzibar Pemba Total 



frasilah frasilah frasilah 



1895/96 . . 



. 165 901 



413 124 



579025 



1896/97 . . 



. 84592 



224362 



308954 



1897/98 . . 



• 44941 



150703 



196644 



1898/99 . . 



. 149417 



481565 



630982 



1899/1900 



. 59741 



206640 



266381 



1900/01 . . 



. 37567 



201 192 



239759 



1901/02 . . 



43626 



321599 



365225 



1902/03 . . 



. 175420 



251780 



427200 



1903/04 . . 



. 28369 



96792 



125 162 



1904/05 . . 



79860 



675683 



755 543 



1905/06 . . 



. 181 536 



109931 



291467 



1906/07 . . 



. 56833 



202633 



259466 



1907/08 . . 



. 213667 



541998 



755665 



The following explanatory notes are added to these tables: — 



"In comparing the figures of the years under review it must be borne in 

 mind that each of them is counted from July to July. As, however, the time 

 when the cloves are gathered varies from year to year, the shipments in the 

 corresponding periods often show divergencies, and this is also the case in the 

 present instance. In the year under review (1907/08) the crop amounted to 

 about 190000 bales (mats), of which 126000 bales were delivered before the 

 end of 1907. In the year 1908 no 000 bales were shipped, of which 46000 

 represented the arrivals in the first half of the year reported upon (1908/09). 

 The harvest is going on while this is being written, but up to the present it 

 is impossible even approximately to estimate its extent. 



The decline in the value of the clove exports is due to the fact that the 

 prices were low in comparison with those of the two preceding years and to 

 the accumulation of stocks which has occurred in consequence, these stocks 

 being held back for a rise. The average price per frasilah of 35 lbs. was this 

 year 12/2 d. for Zanzibar and 11/4 d. for Pemba cloves, against i3/7 1 / 2 d. and 

 12/9 d. in 1907. Throughout the year the clove market was very firm; it 

 opened at n/6 3 / 4 d. for Zanzibar cloves (average price in January) and closed 

 at i2/i 1 / 2 d. (average price in December). The lowest monthly average was 

 reached in August, Viz., 11/2 d., the highest of 13/4 d. in September. Pemba 

 cloves averaged io 1 ^ d. less. 



At the end of 1908 the price of cloves in London was 5 5 / 16 d. per lb., 

 against 4 7 / 8 d. at the end of I907. ,, 



With regard to the approaching crop, we have before us a London 

 report dated from the beginning of September, according to which it 

 is estimated 130000 bales, although the bull-party, according to custom, 

 talk of a much smaller output. In view of the fact that there is not 

 likely to be any lack of the necessary labour in Zanzibar in the fu- 

 ture — (the want of which is said to have frequently badly affected 

 the harvests in previous years) — the above figure has probably not 

 been placed too high, and if it should be confirmed, it is reasonable 

 — in spite of all efforts of the bull clique — to count upon lower 

 prices. That a receding movement is in prospect (it is stated) is already 

 clear from the fact that the unsold residue brought over from last 



