Page 83 - Records of Bahrain (3) (ii)_Neat

The pre-war economy: pearl fishing, 1899-1915 499

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Markets. Until bo recently as 1902 Manamah and Lingcli were the only peart
marts of importance in the Persian Gulf ; the former drew to itself all the
trade of the middle, the latter that of the lower Gulf. Lately
however, in consequence of the stringency of the Persian Customs at
Lingcli and of the extension of steamer communication to the free port of
Dibai, the trade of Lingcli has been in a large measure transferred to Dibai,
and the transfer bids fair to become complete and permanent. The great
bulk of the pearls from Bahrain, Lingeh and Dibai are exported to
Bombay, where they are classified for despatch to European and other
markets, but some are sent to Baghdad. The Baghdad market favours
the white pearl and takes a large proportion of the sma.ll seed pearls.
Yellow pearls find a sale in India and Turkey, and indifferent and bad
pearls are disposed of in Persia, where they are used to ornament articles
of male and female attire.

Dealers. The pearl dealer of the Persian Gulf is either a Tajir
Ul ,,
Uj
(plural, Tujjar ) or a Taw wash (plural Tawawlsh
)• Of these the Tajir is a wholesale merchant, whose
business is brought to his door, who makes his purchases for cash, and who
has direct relations with Bombay ; the^Tawwash, on the other hand, is a
petty merchant who must go in search of his trade, who obtains his
pearls on shore by payment of cash or from the fleets at sea in exchange
for provisions, and who invariably resells his acquisitions to a Persian
Gulf Tajir. The Tajir is brought into relations with the Tawwash (or
uj
in some cases with the Musaqqam) by an agent or Dallal Jlk>, who
deceives commission from both sides, but is generally, it would seem, of
more service to the Tajir than to the Tawwash. A number both of the
Tajir and Tawwash class are Indians, and the number of Indian Tajirs
has increased in recent years, while that of Indian Tawwashes has not
diminished ; nevertheless, in both grades of the profession, Arabs have
multiplied more rapidly, and it is estimated that three-fourths . of the
entire trade is now in Arab hands.

. Exceptionally large and fine pearls, which we may take to be those of
Assortment 30 grains Troy and upwards, are bought and sold singly, and there is no
and Talualion
of pearls. recognised method of assessing their value ; but the intermediate aud
smaller sizes, which form the staple of the pearl trade, change hands in
larger or smaller quantities, and their valuation, dependent as it is on
considerations of size and weight as well as of colour and shape, is a
process which demands some technical knowledge.*

Size. Medium pearls are assorted with reference to size by being passed
through a series of perforated bowls, called Tus u-f* (singular, Tasali
*-b# ), which are made of brass or copper aud fit into one another, so as
to form a nest or pile. To assist them in their private operations, some
pearl dealers keep sets of as many as 45 bowls, very finely graduated in

•With tko remarks which follow inay bo compared tho section KativO
claesification of Pearls '* (in Coylou) in Professor Herdman's Report,