Page 79 - Records of Bahrain (3) (ii)_Neat

The pre-war economy: pearl fishing, 1899-1915 495

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On the occasion of a Tabrhh'being discovered by a diver lie receives
a new suit of clothes from the Nakhuda, and the rest of the crew too
become entitled to receive a present. A man also who finds a good pearl in
opening the oysters is specially rewarded. Quarrels are of rare occurrence
on the pearling ground, and the boats even of hostile tribes may be seen
peacefully anchored within a few cables' length of one another.
The boats of each district form a fleet, with one of the Nakhudas,
appointed before sailing by the Shaikh of the district, as its Admiral.
The principal duty of the Admiral is to fix the day for cessation of work
and return to port. No diver is willing to remain on the banks longer
than his fellows, aud the premature departure of even one boat, however
successful it might have been, would probably bring about a strike of
all the divers from the same district remaining on the banks ; conse­
quently no boat is permitted to leave until the Admiral has hoisted the
signal for departure, and boats that reach home before the return
of the Admiral arc, in the absence of a sufficient excuse, severely dealt
with by the Shaikh to whose jurisdiction they belong. A boat which
lcturned to Kuwait prematurely in September 1905 was at once scut
back to the fishery. Most crews, however, pay one or more brief visits
to port in the course of the season to see their families, to take in pro­
visions and to clear off the barnacles which have collected on the sides
of the boats; in Bahrain one such interval is simultaneously observed
by all boats, under the name of Saifiyah *>*}.'* .

Division of profits in the pearl fishery on the Arabiau side. *

On return from the banks the Nakhuda, if financed by a Musaqqam,
Is bound to hand over to his creditor the whole take of pearls, and all the
shells brought home, at a rate previously arranged which varies from 15
to 20 per cent, below market value. This discount of 15 to 2U per cent,
constitutes, in the case supposed, the profit of the Musaqqam; and the
price of 80 to 85 per cent, of value paid by the Musaqqam is divided
among the owner, Nakhuda, and crew of the boat. The Nakhuda is
hot however precluded from disposing of the pearls and shells to a third
party, provided that the price he obtains will enable him to discharge
his obligations to the Musaqqam, and that the Musaqqam is himself not
willing to give so much; and, as in practice the Musaqqam is generally
unwilling or afraid to bid against the Tajir or professional pearl
merchaut, the Nakhuda frequently sells to a merchant. In the
division of what remains after the claims of the Musaqqam, if any, have
been satisfied, the owner of the boat receives one-fifth of the whole; the
cost of the rations supplied to the crew during the season is nest deducted
for repayment to the person by whom it was advanced • and the balance
is thon divided up among the operatives, the Nakhuda and each Ghais
* Hero wo give only tbe rules for i\ Khalawi or ordinary boat ; bnt there is a
epocially organised boat callod’Amil, in which tbo rulo of distribution is differont
Soo Annoxuro Ho. 0 uudor “ JDibai."