Page 392 - PERSIAN 5 1905_1911

90 ADMINISTRATION REPORT OF THE PERSIAN GULF POLITICAL RESIDENCY

In August 1908 also, the Chief’s confidential clerk, Ibrahim bin Sharida
Najdi, a very intelligent man, died of the common local disease, tuberculosis,
lie survived his father only three years, and has been succeeded by one Saqar
bin Muhammad-az-Zaiyani, a Bahrain Arab, whose inexperience in drafting
letters to this Agency and ignorance of political etiquette in procedure has
on one or two occasions caused a little annoyance and led to improper actions
against British protdgds, but as such mistakes have been readily admitted by
the Chief when brought to his notice, no awkward consequences have ensued.
In last year’s report mention was made of a quarrel which had arisen
between two Bahrein tribes of Arabs, the Dowasir and the Al-bu-Falasa,
when taking water into their boats at a submarine spring, in the course of
which two men were killed. The affair reached a crisis on the 25th May
1908 when Sheikh Esa addressed a letter to the Political Agent stating that
the Al-bu-Falasa tribo had arranged to migrate cn masse to Turkish territory,
and asking for assistance to check this move. In 1895 the British Govern­
ment had sent an expedition after the Al-bin-Ali tribe who had similarly
fled to Zubara and commenced making a hostile demonstration against
Bahrain from that port under Turkish encouragement. To prevent a possible
recurrence of such events therefore the Political Agent summoned the two
leaders of the tribe before him and after obtaining from them an admission
of the correctness of the report he detained them in custody in the Agency
for 25 days, at the same time pressing the Chief to expedite the judicial settle­
ment of the quarrel. In the result the tribe made their submission to Sheikh
Esa in satisfactory fashion, paying the fine of R1.000 which he demanded of
them and declaring their reconciliation with the Dowasir, which was effected
in the Chief’s presence at a meeting which all the principal men of both
tribes attended. Sheikh Esa then asked for the two dktenus' release which
was duly granted. He had cordially and promptly thanked the Political
Agent previously for his action at the time of the men’s arrest. The case
therefore seems to have been satisfactorily ended, as though the immediate
relations of the two slaughtered men would apparently like to continue the
feud, it is improbable that they will venture to disturb the tribal arrangement.
The Dowasir’s man was only a Baharani (Shia) servant, while the man in the
Al-bu-Falasa boat belonged actually to the small Dawawida tribe or section,
and the Dowasir allege that he was killed accidentally by a member of his
own side.
The pearling season proper of 1908 opened on the 24th May and closed
ostensibly on the 22nd September. The take of pearls both in quantity and
quality was stated to have been about 20 per cent, below the average, and
many of the Nakhodas declared that they had not earned enough to pay
expenses. Three hundred boats put out to sea again early in November and
remained away for about a fortnight. Their labours unfortunately were not
materially rewarded, and consequently at the close of the year the majority
of divers have failed to receive from their employers the customary tisqam
advance, which should help them to live through the winter.
In August 1908, the local Agency of the Bombay Persia Steam Naviga­
tion Company was transferred from Haji Abdun Nabi Kal Ewaz to Ad u
Aziz bin Haji Lutf Ali Khunji, the State cargo landing contractor, .iw
alteration was probably the result of the change of management in r>us
where the old Agent had died, but Haji Abdun Nabi succeeded in recover g
the appointment soon after the close of the year under report.
The Turkish Postal arrangements for Hasa and Katif
same as in the previous year, until just upon the close, when Abaur
bin Othman, who had returned to Bahrain in the autumn of 1908
weeks, wound up his affairs here and departed finally, asi is beImv .
Basrab. Under the present arrangement the two outlying Turkmn *aistrio
obtain their mails from Basrah direct in the small steamers, Jo n . '
Kazimi, Jaffari, and Meqna, whose chief employment is lightering ior
vessels below the Shat-cl-Arab bar. ..
The Customs administration, managed by the firm of Gungaram
Das, has worked smoothly throughout the year. It is roughly e