Page 402 - PERSIAN 5 1905_1911

100 ADMINISTRATION RETORT OF THE PERSIAN GULF POLITICAL RESIDENCY

The customs administration lias been in the hands of one Abdul Mohsin
(Worn a.
whose appointment, in January last, was noted in last year’s report. There
i9 no indication of customs charges having increased. With the exception of
the incident on board S. S. Waroonga, when Abdul Mohsin appears to have
behaved in a way that suggests he was acting under instructions, his conduct
appears to have been exemplary and the administration of the customs, on
the whole, orderly and effective.
Anna trade. No special matters of interest, from the point of view of an administra­
tion report, mark the present nine months. The arms trade has flourished
ns usual and no attempt is made at concealing the trade. During the month
of October, Sheikh Mubarak twice despatched in his steam launch large
quantities of arms and ammunition to his friend, Sheikh Khazal.
In April, Monsieur Nichan Hernezyan arrived in Koweit from Maskat.
It was said that his business was to collect outstandings due to his firm. Ho
collected, it is said, only T£300 and his other customers ran away to Nejd.
Mons. Hernezyan wore Arab clothes while in Koweit.
Mons. Goguyer of Maskat has recently made attempts again to appoint
an Agent at Koweit but, it is said, that the Sheikh has refused permission.
Public The public health has been good. The dispensary was kept open for
health.
the benefit of the public and 4,840 patients were treated. The daily attend­
ance of sick persons averaged 53—07 for the nine months under review.
The charge of the dispensary was held, from 1st April to 23rd July, by
temporary Assistant Surgeon Dadimastefr who resigned the appointment
and left for India on the 24th July. Assistant Surgeon Dadimaster was
relieved by temporary Assistant Surgeon Nur Muhammad Rahmatullah in
whose charge the dispensary remained till the close of the year.
Maiine.
The British India Steam Navigation Company’s steamers, slow and
fast mails alternately, continue to call here weekly. The fast mails missed
the port on five occasions and the slow mails twice.
The Bombay and Persia Steam Navigation Company’s vessels found an
opening for trade in Koweit owing to the S. S. Waroonga incident.
Altogether 11 visits have been paid by this Company’s vessels during the nine
months under report.
No other Company’s vessels have made Koweit a port of call.
A gen/
launch. The Agency steam launch Lewis Pelly arrived at Koweit on the 8th
December.
Dioptric
light The dioptric light of the 6th order, supplied by the Government of
India for the Koweit anchorage, arrived from England on the 7th May 1908
and was hoisted the very day. It has been a great help to the vessels entering
the port, and has given no trouble in the working or management.
Pearl
frberiea. The pearl fisheries will be more fully treated of in the annual trade
report, but, as they are the main industry of Koweit, a brief mention of them
here will not be out of place. The catch of pearls appears to have been up to
the average but prices were exceptionally low, with the result that the seafar­
ing population and petty shopkeepers and traders have been very hard put to
it. A sudden rise in price about November has sufficed to save the merchants
from loss and even to place them in a more favourable position than they
were before.
teilen pearl
Athene*. One result of the above poverty has been a few applications from pearlers
for passes for the Ceylon pearl fisheries. No passes to pearlers have been
issued by this Agency but it is reported that about five hundred Koweit
pearlers have left for Ceylon in search of work and that more propose to
follow.
Foreigner*. The visit of Mons. Nichan has been recorded under “ Arms trade.
A Mr. Guays, who had previously visited Koweit, came again in Mar
and tried to obtain, on behalf of Messrs. Henry Tate & Sons, Limited,