Page 673 - PERSIAN 9 1941_1947

5.
year the catch was reported to have been very poor and the prices
were about 0Q°o lower. Many of those who took part were unable to
earn enough to pay for their food and other necessities. The
ruling prices wore as follows:-
Jewan and Shereon Js80/- to Isl20/- per chow,
Golwa^................. fcl5/- to h25/- " "
Badla.................... fc5. 7- to h87-
Naeim.................... k35/~ to te40/- *
(h) Boat Buildings
The boat-building trade was almost at a standstill during
the period under review due to the scarcity of wood, oarticularly
teak.

(i) Safar.
139 ocean-going dhows left Kuwait for Indian and African
oozrts and picked up cargoes of dates from Iraq. Some returned from
India with timber, charcoal, tamarind, cement, coir mats and ropes,
while others brought with them fish oil, coffee, and mangrove poles
from the Yemen and African ports. The average income of a sailor
was r^350/- which shows a decrease over last year largely due to
lower freight rates.
(j) Anti-Locust Operations.
In April a few scattered bands of hoppers appeared in the
town and surrounding areas.

The Middle Hast xinti-Locust Unit once again provided a
detachment with its base at Kuwait to undertake operations under
the supervision of Dr. Gibbons. This year there was no great
invasion and the anti-locust campaign terminated in late May.
V. DESERT IHTERSSTS.
1947 was a very bad year for the bedouin. It followed a
winter of poor rain and numbers of sheep and goats failed to
survive until the "wasm" rain in November. This was followed again
by over 60 days without rain, so that the year ended on an
apprehensive note. Early in April there was a clash near Khadr-al-
11a on the Iraq - Saudi Arabia borders in which 4 men were killed,
between the Badur (Muntafiq). a shepherd tribe or Iraq, and
members of the Hutair tribe oi Saudi Arabia .

The North-Eastern part of Kuwait territory seems to be
largely dominated by Shaikh Subah An Nasir who appears to have
made his headquarters at Jahra. He levies toll from bedouin
camping in the area and deals extensively with smugglers across
the Iraq frontier.

In June a lorry stolen from the Basra Petroleum Company
was bought by Shaikh Subah An Nasir but, thanks to the energetic
intervention of Shaikh Abdullah a1 Mubarak, was intercepted just
before reaching Saudi Arabian territory and was returned to its
owners.
^ Foreign Interests.

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