Page 480 - PERSIAN 5 1905_1911

70 ADMINISTRATION REPORT OF THE PERSIAN GULF

cordiality may possibly have been due to the fact that Shaikh Jasim had come
over with the intention of persuading Shaikh Esa to take some R20.000 out
of Shaikh Mujbil Adh Dhakair, a leading Bahrain merchant. I am glad to
record that Shaikh Esa did not give way in the matter, as the alleged debt
was only one transaction of a scries whose account and final settlement had
long since been made up. Shaikh Jasira probably believed in the validity of
the claim as he is a man who can only see one side of an argument and, once he
has made up his mind as to the rights (sic) of a case, he can by no means be
induced to see the arguments of the other party.
The relations between the Political Agent and the Chief and his family
were distinctly conjial. Little trouble has occurred with any of the Shaikh’s
officials. In June the second Shiah Qazi of Manama took upon himself to
beat a Persian. As this was arrogating a jurisdiction that he did not
possess, and as serious trouble in recent years has occurred in Bahrain from
undue interference with foreigners, the Political Agent represented the
matter to Shaikh Esa who took a small fine from the Qazi and sent him to
the Agency to apologize. The Bazaar Master of Muharraq imprisoned a
foreigner in September for two or three days, and when this came under
observation pretended he was ignorant of the man’s status. The Shaikh
again supported the Political Agent and a small fine was recovered. The
same Bazaar Master failed to meet and escort the Political Agent on his arri­
val in Muharraq to Shaikh Esa’s house on the occasion of his first visit,
although this had long been customary. An objection was taken and this
omission has not occurred since. It is needless to say that both Bazaar
Masters require a great deal of urging to keep up to the mark in the per­
formance of their duties, but an effectual goad has been utilised when they
become too negligent, viz., payment to the Shaikh instead of to them a portion
of the 10 per cent. Khidmah levied on civil suits.
One thousand two hundred and sixty-six civil and three hundred and
ten criminal cases were disposed of
Judicial.
during the year. This shows a consider^
\ble decrease in civil cases as the previous report only embraced nine months.
I think the reason? for the decrease are solely attributable to the fact
that the pearling season was a good one and there were accordingly fewer
people trying to escape payment of their claims.
During the year further progress was made with cases between Boat
Masters (Nakhodas) and their divers, and the Salifa Judge has now a little
Court of his own whereas formerly he used to hear cases in a coffee shop
The Nakhodas are still very averse to bringing their books, and it will still
take some time to bring matters on a really satisfactory basis.
The general health of the public during the year under consideration
was fairly good. The prevailing
Public Health.
diseases were malaria, rheumatism,
ulcers, conjunctivitis and bronchitis.
There was also a small outbreak of plague in May 1909. The epidemic
lasted for about forty-seven days, but did not take any serious turn owing to
the prevailing high temperature at the time (85° to 90° mean average). The
total mortality estimated on the most reliable sources was 29 for the town of
Manama, but about an equal number of deaths are reported to have occurred
in the island of Muharraq. There was a noticeable mortality among rats
before the appearance of the first case as in the previous epidemics.
The working of the Victoria Memorial Hospital during the year 1909
was very satisfactory as the following statistics will show:—

T<*r. Indoor. Outdoor. Total.

1907 2,39*
11 2,381
1906 106 4,409 4,517
1909 . . 98 4,876 4,974