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Chapter Two

                   But with a fairly undisputed domination over Dhafrah, the tribe also
                   came to appreciate the economic opportunities which I he district’s
                   shallow coastline had in store. Maybe the reason why some of the
                   Bani Yas tribes took to the waters of the Gulf was I he one given by an
                   official of the Government of India sometime before 1056: “The larger
                   portion was composed of beduin residing in the interior, and lending
                   their flocks: but some few' individuals, reduced to poverty through
                   loss of their cattle, look up their abode on the shores of the Persian
                   Gulf.”02 There was, however, no permanent settlement on the coast
                   because of the lack of potable water. The pattern of life for many of
                   the Bani Yas sections changed considerably after some water was
                   discovered in 1761 on Abu Dhabi Island, which also happened to
                   have a sheltered anchorage, as good as any on the shallow coast
                   between Dubai and Khaur al 'Udaid. Within the course of two years a
                   village of some 400 houses sprang up on the island. This first
                   permanent settlement on the island developed rapidly, although the
                   shaikhs of the Bani Yas continued to reside in the interior for several
                   decades. The successors of Diyab bin Tsa Al Bu Falah, who died in
                   1793, made Abu Dhabi their place of residence and thus the capital of
                   the Bani Yas.
                     The Bani Yas seem to have gradually adapted their lives to make
                   the best possible use of the economic opportunities which the
                   country afforded. Many groups of the Bani Yas built themselves palm
                   frond houses near their date gardens in the LTwa as a permanent
                   abode. Others returned to their LTwa possessions only during the
                   date harvest. Their camels were taken to graze in the winter in
                   Dhafrah proper and Khatam, and even as far away as Qatar and al
                   Hasa. Most of the Bani Yas engaged in the seasonal pearling, and at
                   the beginning of the 20th century over 400 boats on the pearl banks
                   of the Gulf belonged to the Bani Yas. They sailed from Abu Dhabi and
                   its sheltered harbour of Batin03 as well as from other landing-places
                   on the shallow coast nearer to the LTwa. The many islands adjacent to
                   the coast of the shaikhdom of Abu Dhabi were also used in various
                   ways by the Bani Yas. Dalma, Sir Bani Yas, Ghaghah and a few
                   others have been permanently inhabited and served as supply
                   centres for the pearling communities. Other islands were used during
                   the winter to fish, dry the catch, collect guano, or even to graze camels
                   which were taken across by boat. A more detailed description of the
                   way in which the inhabitants of the shaikhdom of Abu Dhabi made
                   use  of the resources of the coast and the hinterland will be given in

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