§ MR. REESTo ask the Secretary of State for India whether he will give the House any statistics which may be available regarding the trade done by the state-subsidised Hamburg-American Steamship Company in the Persian Gulf in the last past year.
§ (Answered by Secretary Sir Edward Grey.) His Majesty's Government have 294 received the following information on this subject:—The "Canadia," of the Hamburg-American line, the first vessel of: this line which has visited Bussorah, arrived in that port on the 5th September, and sailed for the bar to complete her cargo on the 18th September. She sailed from Hamburg on the 16th July with 240 cases of matches and 241 packages of general cargo, and took 220 bags of sugar and 850 packages of general cargo from Antwerp, and 206 packages of general cargo from Marseilles, and a few details from Suez, thus completing her full burden of 3,500 tons. Her general cargo consisted principally of glass, liquor, iron, chinaware, and wood. The "Canadia" took from Bussorah 1,300 tons of unhusked rice for Hamburg and Rotterdam, and about 1,600 tons of dates for transhipment at Hamburg to New York, and sundries. She sailed with a full cargo. The "Canadia" will be followed by the "Sicilia," which arrives shortly, and has I hear, already booked a full return cargo. The service from Hamburg to Bussorah will be a monthly one, the vessels calling at Antwerp, Marseilles, Port Said, Suez, Port Soudan, Jibuti, Muscat (occasionally), Lingah, and Bushire. Outward freight is booked, at present, from 20s. to 22s. 6d. per ton, and homeward freight at 17s. 6d. per ton.