Page 227 - PERSIAN 9 1931_1940

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3. Mails from London arrive in four days, and there is time for a reply
to be sent home by the return mail—a most satisfactory state of affairs.
4. There is still a
right >U 10 * ohtical Ageut lives in liopcs of being able to get these put

0. As foreshadowed in this Agency Administration Report for 1932, Iiis
Excellency the Shaikh generously built a small shed (not rest house) on the
rST Sri**“*■""" "•

.G- ^ovember 1933, His Excellency the Ruler officially requested His
Majesty’s Government to make it known that ho did not wish “ private ”
aviators to land in or fly over his State, or over his territorial waters.
7. At the close of the year and after a certain amount of unavoidable delay,
Ifis Excellency the Shaikh approved of all the clauses of the new “ Agreement
fur the regulation and control of civil aircraft ”, which His Majesty’s Govern­
ment had been negotiating with the Kuwait Government. The Agreement now
only awaits official ratification.
8. There remains the question of the air agreement for His Majesty’s Royal
Air Force. This has yet to be presented, but the writer has little doubt that the
Shaikh will raise any serious objection to any of its clauses, in view of his well-
known desire to, at all times, assist, where British Naval, Military and Air Force
requirements are concerned. He only stipulates that his sovereign rights are
iii no way impaired or threatened.
9. The re-marking and enlarging of the local aerodrome were satisfactorily
carried out in June by Captain Hudson, R.E. of the Royal Air Force (Works
Section), Baghdad.
(d) Boat Building.—1. A note on the number, tonnage, etc., of boats built
during the year has been given in the year’s trade report and can be referred to
if necessary.
2. The following types of boats were all built during the year under
review :—
Bum,
Sambuq,
Shu ’wai,
Bagala,
Jalboat,
Mashua.
3. No ‘ Batils ’ were laid down.
4. Speaking generally the boat building industry was stagnant during 1933.
This being due to the continued depressed pearl trade.
5. Out of approximately 700 pearl boats for instance, only 300 put to sea.
The remainder being laid up and kept in repair only.
6. As mentioned in this Agency Administration Report for 1932, His
Excellency the Shaikh, to assist the boat building trade, built a new yacht tor
himself, some 100' overall. His Excellency also had a 3-pounder B. L. naval gun
mounted on the bow, which with a powerful searchlight presented by the Anglo-
Persinn Oil Company, Limited, added to the graceful and efficient appearance
of the boat. She was launched on 11th April with appropriate ceremony. The
modern 75 H. P. Thornycroft Internal Combustion Engine, which had been fitted
to his first yacht was taken out and placed in the new craft, and the old yacht
very cleverly converted into a trading sea-going dhow.
(e) Pearl Season.—1. The stnnle industry of Kuwait, like Bahrain, is the
pearl fishing industry. Some 10,000 men with their families are dependent foi
their living on the annual dive, known locally as the Orliaus.
2 As mentioned above, if the pearl season is poor, it follows that the boat
building, and sail making industry, also the manufacture of shark s oil, etc., are
all sympathetically affected.
3. The same applies to a dozen other industries such as rope makmg, copper
nail manufacture, and tho import of wood, spars, etc., etc.