Page 109 - Records of Bahrain (3) (ii)_Neat

The pre-war economy: pearl fishing, 1099-1915 525

2262

employed on the boats is 8,884 ; it follows that the average crew of
a Persian pearl boat is less than 10 hands.
The total number of pearl boats in the whole Persian Gulf is
apparently about 4,500, and the number of men who engage in pearl
diving exceeds 74,000. The average size of a pearl boat varies,
as will be observed, from one part of the Gulf to another ; but
it may be stated generally that the crew of a sea-going boat is
from 6 to 4*2 hands, while that a boat working along the coast
only is usually from 4 to 6. In some localities, however, especially upon
the Persian side, men work entirely single-handed in Varjis or small
skills.
It will be noticed that, in some places, the number of hands required
to man the boats belonging to the port is much larger than the port
itself could possibly supply. The explanation is that the crews are
completed by strangers : in Oman these strangers are, to a large
exlcut, Bedouins from the Dhafrah, Barairai and Ohahirah districts.
More than half of the pearl fishing industry in the Persian Gulf is
under the protection or virtual protection of Great Britain, the figures
in this respect being :—

Number of boats Number of men
Protecting power. employed on tho
protected.
boats protected.
Great Britain 2,593 48,878

None 817 12,890

Poreia 889* 8,389

Turkey 107 3,444

Indclorminato 36 495

Total 4,601 74,096

•Exclusive of 36 boats at Hanjam village on Banjam Islaud.

ANNEXURE No. 4.—TABLE OF THE PEARL BANKS OF
THE PERSIAN GULF.

The pearl banks of the Persian Gulf may be divided into three sets,
viz., (I) those on the Arabian side between Bas Tanurah and Dibai
Town j (II) thoso on tho Arabian side between Kuwait Town and Ras
Tanurah ; and (Ili, •e on the Persian side.