Page 76 - Records of Bahrain (3) (ii)_Neat

492 Records of Bahrain

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is of about 8 weeks' duration. In 190G the Raddah of the Bahrain
fleet began on the 20th of September and ended on tho 14th of October ;
and in that year the Bahrain and Kuwait fleets closed the season about the
same time,- later than the Qatar fleet, but earlier than that of Trucial
'Oman, which had delayed in putting to sea at the beginning of the season.
Besides tho seasons of pearling at sea, there is also a wiutcr season
for shore operations known as the Mujannah In the Mujannah
the fishery is conducted chiefly by wading in the shallows along the
coast when the tide is out, and those who take part in it ordinarily
return to their homes at night The pearls obtained in the Mujannah
are ordinarily small and discoloured; nevertheless the magniGeent
specimen which gave rise to a dispute mentioned further on in the
political history of the pearl fisheries was found by a wader of Kumzar.
It may be noted here that a number of Kuwait, Bahrain and Trucial
'Oman pearlers now visit the Ceylon banks in winter, instead of devoting
themselves to ordinary deep-sea fishing at home, as was formerly the
rule; the Government records do not show this practice to have prevailed
earlier than 1889. Large boats in the Portion Gulf belonging to
enterprising owners are sometimes sent away from the home fisheries to
those of Sccjotrah and the Red Sea, where they remain continously for
as much as two consecutive seasons, and return with Zanni and Sadaifi
shells as well as pearls. This seems to be an old custom, and the season of
1885 is recorded as having been a successful one in the Red Sea ; but,
since the Italian Government began to tax pearl boats fishing in Eritrean
waters, the Red Sea venture has become less popular than it formerly was.
The pearl fishers, who till recently had neither charts nor compasses Modus
but are now generally provided with the latter, are extremely expert in operandi.
finding their way to any bank they may desire to reach, and are generally
able to make a direct voyage thither ; they are guided, not only by the
sun and stars and by bearings from the land when in sight, but also by
the colour and depth of the sea and by the nature of the bottom. Some
Nakhudas select the banks which most generally yield a fair return, and
stay on them for the season; other commanders, of a more sanguine or
less methodical temperament, remain on the move and change the scene of
their operations every few da}rs. In the choice of a bank the Nakhuda
is limited by the powers of his divers; 8 fathoms is an ordinary depth,
and 12 is perhaps the greatest at which work can be carried on without
discomfort; boats with good divers, however, will work on banks carry­
ing 14 fathoms. There are men who can negotiate 16 fathoms of
water, but the strain at this depth is too great to be endured long,, even
by the strongest, and fatal accidents sometimes occur in working at
such a level.*
On the banks diving i6 carried on every day during fine weather;
work begins an hour after sunrise and ceases an hour before sunset.
The interval between the early morning prayer and the commencement
of diving is 6pent by the crew in opening the oysters collected on the
previous day. This is done with crooked knives called Mufaliq Q.V
* In Ceylou waters 9 fathoms is the ordinary limit of tho local diver. Individual®
avo found who can manage from 11 to 16 fathoms ; but they can only bring up
they happen to find near thorn, and in tho caso of 15 fathoms thoy come up exhausted
(soo Professor Hordman's Report),