Page 68 - Records of Bahrain (3) (ii)_Neat

484 Records oj Bahrain

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The pearl banks.

The geological formation of the bottom of the Persian Gulf and the Extent and
temperature and shallowness of its waters appear to be favourable in a Potion,
high degree to the growth of the pearl oyster.
The pearl banks which arc known and actually worked occupy a very
considerable proportion of the whole area of the Gulf, chiefly upon-the
Arabian side."*
The line between which and the Arabian coast lie the bulk of the
pearl banks—the line in fact which may be considered as marking their
seaward limit on that side—begins near the coast of Trucial 'Oman a
few miles to the west of Dibai Town, passes slightly to the north of the
island of Sir Bii Na'air, and then curves, at a distance of 20 or 30 miles
from the nearest land, round the promontory of Qatar and the Bahrain
archipelago. Northwards of the Bahrain islands the belt formed by the
banks diminishes in width, and it may be considered to end at Abu
’AH Island, though some banks of minor importance occur to the north
even of that place. In the great bay between Trucial 'Oman and Qatar
the depth of water averages from 10 to 15 fathoms, but there are occa­
sional deep places of 20 to 23 fathoms and many submarine knolls carry­
ing’onty.3 to 0 fathoms; the last arc the principal scene of pearling
operations in this part of the Gulf.
The pearl banks on the Persian side are found chicflj' on the coast
between Lingeh and Tahiri, and agaiu in the neighbourhood of Kharag
Island,
The largest and most productive of all the banks are situated on the
Arabian side of the Gulf and are fished annually, the richest being those
to the north and east of Bahrain : the banks oft the Persian coast are
poor as well as small, and arc fished, at the present time, once in three or
four years only. Pearl banks, occur at all.distances from land up to 70
miles, and at all depths from a little below high water mark down to 18
fathoms at least; it is possible that they exist also in deeper and more
central waters where the native divers are unable to reach them, and the
Arabs believe that there arc beds in inlets of the Ruus-al-Jibal coast
where the depths are 21 to 25 fathoms.
Classificalu
The terra for an .ordinary level pearl bank is Hair j^ (plural, and nature.
Ilairat ), while oyster beds formed on the top of submarine
mounds surrounded by deeper water arc known as Najwat
(singular, Najwall ). 1t. is noteworthy that nearly every Hair
appears to have been known from of old, whereas the Nnjwah is often of
recent discovery and still bears the name of the finder. The best banks
are considered to be those which are level, which are situated in clear

*A list of the principal pearl banks in the Gulf will bo found in Anncxurc No. 4
(o this Appendix, compiled by Lieutenant Hose, R. N.f of II. M. S. “ Redbreast."
Besides those mentioned there are many others which, though they have distinctive
names, arc in reality only portions of the largor banks specified.