The emigrant aid journal of Minnesota. [volume] (Nininger City, Minn. Terr. [i.e. Minn.]) 1856-1858, 1858-03-24

Persia has been almost q terra tncognita, and from
its remote position and its inland character, political
and commercial intercourse has not been deemed worth
the asking. But the zeal with which England and
Russia have waged a mutual contest for political in.
duence at Teheran, the fostering care with which in
previous years England has regarded her commercial
relations with the Shah, and more latterly the courage,
unexsmpled among Eastern nations, with which Persia
has withstood the inroads of European armies, ought to
suggest the inquiry whether we have not in our esti-
mate of that nation undervalued her resources and DO
sition, and especially, whether among all the present
upheavings and revolutions in the East, there do not
appear openings to wide fields for the development Of
American enterprise.
Persia contains 100000 square miles, and, though
always difficult to obtain in the East accurate statistics,
600. 1t has much fertile land, a good climate, the in
habitants are robust and healty, and the merchants
possess far more commercial enterprise than any other
in the East Though she has several good seaports
upon the Persian Cult, nearly all of her foreign com.
mercs passes through those Of Turkey. The two prin-
cipal ones are Trebizond and Bassorah. The former
owes its present commercial prosperity to the concession
made by the Porte upon the demand Of the European
powers of the free navigation of the Dardanelles and
Bosphorus. It is situated on the southeastern shores
of the Black Sea, about 800 miles from Constantinople.
From the most reliable statistics that can be obtained
of the commerce Of Trebizond, the imports and exports
swell to the considerable amount of nearly $l3, 100000.
OF the imports no less than $4,000, 900 is entirely for
the Persian market, consisting of cotton and WOODEN
fabrics, hardware, fancy articles and chintz-whilst the
exports are made up Of goods brought chiefly from that
country, such as raw and manufactured silks, wool,
shawls, carpets, saffron, gall nuts and dyestufs. The
cultivation of silk in Persia, whence it was originally
Introduced into Europe, is very considerable the pro-
vince of Ghilhan producing more than is obtained FROM
the whole Of Italy. This trade will greatly increase
when the inhabitants abolish their crude and ancient
method Of winding it. No stronger proof can be given
in addition to the above statistics of the increase and
Importance Of this commerce than the fact that no less
4han three regular lines of steamers run between Con
stantinople and Trebizond, an Austrian Lloyds, a
Turkish and a Greek.
Nearly the whole Of the manufactured goods are sup.
piled BY England, the most important Of which the
merchants Of the United States could supply IS we'll
md as cheap. Persia consumes large quantities Of
blue drills and plain white oott,ns which are printed at
the establishment at Tabriz and resold at q great profit.
The United States export to Turkey a large amount Of
these, having in a measure supplanted those Of England.
The same, did opportunity present, could be done in
Persia.