The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-08-07
PERSIA.
It's Population ana Resources.

Mr.. Ronald Thomson, Secretary of the Bri-
tsh Legation at Teheran, reports to the Foreign
Office that the population and resources OF
Persia have been overestlmated. Extending
seven hundred miles from north to south, and
nine hundred miles from east to west, Persia
contains an area of GAS 900 square miles; bat an
immense extent of its superncies is absolutely
desert, and its population Is everywhere SO
scaDty that 1t only averages about seven TO the
square mile. Tabreez may have about 10000
inhabitants; Teheran, $4,000; Mesbed, 10000;
lspahan, 10000. Allowing 100000 for the
towns, 100000 for the Turkish, LEX, Koor-
dish, and Arab tribes which are spread over
Persia and 700 600 tor the remaining inha6it-
ants, the whole number OF the population is
brought up to 100000, number rather over
thaa under the marx.
In the Royal Treasury of Persia it is said there
is deposited gold coin Of the value Of 81, 500 900:
gold furniture and plate belonging to the Crown
100000; and the Crown jewels valued at
f2 100000; making in all $4,000, 600, or twenty
crort OF tomans. The most remarkable of the
Crown jewels are the Derya-i-Noor, l78 carats,
valued at 500, 900 tomaus or S200,000; the Tsj
Mebel, 1l2 carats; and the English diamond, 70
carats. given by George ~ to Fatti Ali Shah.
The Persian Government has no debt the
balance due by the Shah to Russia on account
of the expenses OF the war concluded in 1928,
amounting TO about 100000, having been can
celled by the Emperor twelve years ago.
The revenue of Persia demanded from the
several provinces this year amounts to 4,9l2,50
tomans (Ss.), or FL 600; but under the COM
pleX system of taxation much more will be wrung
tionaries on Its way to the Treasury. Small rs
is the revenue of Persia, ii is in excess of the
expenditure; this consists of f700,000 for the
army f300 600 for civil services f100 900 for the
| priesthood and syeds, and f2ge,000 for extraor
binary disbursements; the residue, with presents
| from officials on appointment, being applicable
to the Shah's private expenditure, the use of the
army, and other purposes.
The army eoneists nominally of about los, 500
men, but not more than one-third of this nun.
ber is on active service; the remainder form
| kind of reserve, mostly disarmed and engaged
| III agricultural pursuits, but liable to be called
| upon at any moment; supposed to receive half
pay, but seldom getting it, Every appointment
IN the army is disposed of to the highest bidder
| The troops are armed with old-fashioned French
| muskets, purchased IN Paris tor about 25f. each
| old muskets purchased in England twenty years
| ago, and few thousand made IN Teheran. Pro
| badly there are not more than hundred cannon
in Persia mounted and it for service; nearly all
| of them are smooth bored and of small calibre
| varying from six pounds 10 twelve pounds, The
| officers generally are said TO be ignorant aud
| inefficient, but the soldiers are described as
| obedent, sober, intelligent, and capable of
enduring great fatigue. Last summer Mr..
| Thomson saw several regiments perform stages
| of twenty-four miles for days together, and on
one occasion they marched thirty-slx miles over
a sandy desert in the plain OF Tankbrass, with
out a drop of water on the road, aud under
burning sun, when the thermometer stood at
l02 degrees in a double fly Indian tent.