s to Jidda in the same year were
L1,405,000, largely consisting of rice, wheat and other food stuffs
from India; the exports, which have dwindled away in late years,
amounted in 1904 to only L25,000. To balance the exports and imports
specie was exported in the three years 1902-1904 amounting to
L2,319,000; a large proportion of this was perhaps provided by cash
brought into the country by pilgrims.

The pilgrim traffic increased largely in 1904 as compared with
previous years; 74,600 persons landed at Jidda, 18,000 of whom were
from British India, 13,000 from Java and the Straits Settlements, and
the remainder from Turkish territory, Egypt and other countries: 235
out of a total of 334 steamships engaged in this traffic were British.

The trade of Hodeda, which contributes by far the largest share to
that of Turkish Yemen, fell off considerably during the period from
1901-1905, chiefly owing to the disturbed state of the country. In the
latter year the imports amounted to L467,000, and the exports to
L451,000; coffee, the mainstay of Yemen trade, shows a serious decline
from L302,000 in 1902 to L229,000 in 1904; this is attributable partly
to the great increase of production in other countries, but mainly to
the insecurity of the trade routes and the exorbitant transit dues
levied by the Turkish administration.

Oman, through its chief port Muscat, had a total trade of about
L550,000, two-thirds of which is due to imports and one-third to
exports. The chief items of imports are arms and ammunition, rice,
coffee and piece goods; the staple export is dates, which in a good
year accounts for nearly half the total; much of the trade is in the
hands of British Indians, and of the shipping 92% is British.

The principal trade centre of the Arabian side of the Persian Gulf is
Bahrein; the total volume of trade of which amounted in 1904 to
L1,900,000, nearly equally divided between imports and exports; rice,
piece goods, &c., form the bulk of the former, while pearls are the
most valuable part of the latter. (R. A. W.)

ANTIQUITIES

Arabia cannot be said to be "destitute of antiquities," but the material
for the study of these is still very incomplete. The difficulties in
the way of travelling in Arabia with a view to scientific investigation
are such that little or nothing is being done, and the systematic work
which has given such good results in Egypt