Page 43 - 2 Persian Trade rep Bahrain 2_Neat

Report on the Trade of the Bahrein Islands for the year
ending 31st March 1928.

% Every year tlie Shaikh bsccs a proclamation
Introduction. announcing the dates of the beginning and tb*: end
A general description of the physical. j.K'Iiticul of the (Ihauis, orderin' all divers to report to their
zr.J commercial peculiarities of the Islands i* given Nakhudas tea days before the opening day in order
in the report for the year 1 ft 11 -12 (Annual Series to prepare the boat.* for 6ca. No orders are issued
No. 5052). The permanent population is estimated a* to Khascbcsh and Raddah and Nakhudas may
at 115,000. go out when tLey wish. The duration of the short
seasons depends on the temperature of the water.
Diving rs'tft'.ds.—The actual diving methods are
Trade. simple. No mechanical apparatus is used.
The pearl banks are free to everybody. When
The total taluc of trade amounted to £3,<’*I3,222
as compared with £3 JO 12,980 in 192G-27, snowing the Nakhuda h*s reached a likely position he anchors
lies boat and Hj.es the oars so that they extend above
xti increase of £30,242 or 1 per cent. the water horizontally. A couple of ropes are tied
The total value of imports amounted to £2/'29,181
as against £1^97,551 in. 1920-27, showing an increase to* each oar. oae with a weight upon it, on which
the diver coos down, the other one by which he is
of £131,030* or C-9 p*r cent-. The increase was prilled up. if diving in deep water. In (hallow
chiefly in specie, rice ar_d kerosene oil. water the diver rises lotto surface without assistance.
It is interesting to note that while there was an
.r..*rease in tie import of piece-goods last year, it The average depth is about 20 feet. When the
slows a decrease of £21.013 during the year under diver comes up to the surface he hands bis she!!*
to the puller and they are heaped on the deck.
report. Lack of market and tier holding of large
«locks froia :hc previ-.-us year are rcsjMjasible for The divers work in relays, diving almost continuously
I he decrease. for about an hour at a time. Each dive averages
about a minute and a half.
It will be observed that cotton goods valu'd at
£198,348 are shown as imported from India. This Every diver provide* himself with a clip, like a
:< misleading as the bulk of the cargo im|>orted from clothes pc?, which he fasteus on to his nose, aUo
Lard leather ringer guards which enable Lira to
-he Tnited Kingdom arrives via India, consequently
appears un<2es this beading. dislodge the shells from the rocks without damaging
!.*is hands. Round bis neck he carries a string bag
in which he puts bis shells. The divers wear nothing
Pearl Lida.try. Vat a loin cloth.
The sLclls arc opened every inorrJng before the
0\'i,aul.— For centuries tlie Persian Gulf hit* been
firuous for hs pearls, rt.d at present the centre of .living begins, and thrown back into the sea. The
•fivers have a theory that by throwing the shells
industry and the chief market of the Gulf is
rlshrein. During recen* years important ('ontixental, into the sea they provide food for the next year's
Indian and Arab mcreLar.ts, who used to send their oysters. The Nakhmca watches over the opening
r.geuts, have- eome thecnselvca to Bahrein. of the shells, collects any pearls and shuts them
up in the sea chest. It is difficult for men to steal
X•unbere ployed.—Over 500 yearling craft are
[•earls because they wrar practically no clothes and
registered in Bahrein xnJ about !5.000 tr.es from they have nowhere t<» hide them.
Bahrein wo-rl each year as divers 2: art from large
numbers of foreigners from Oman- Persia ar.d the Medical.—Diving is an unhealthy profession and
Arab Coast. the divers as a wbo!< are not long-lived. Tbc boats
are very overcrowded and sometimes they remain
Dicing xvaxni.—The season is divided into- three oat at sea for two months at a time. The divers
divisions. It lasts, roughly, from the mi«£dle of live on a ration of dates, rice and fish.
shy until il* middle of October. If the weather Most divers <ufu*r from ear troable. Rupture of
ii calm and tie sea not loo cold the two short se.fcO!*£ the eardrum » alinott universal, in fact men are
*it longer. The divishou* me as follow- :—
not considered proficient until this has occurred.
i. KtacitWfc . :;i out d.\». Kuplivr-ema cf the lafrgx is common and » often
ii. GIuum . . the m.t.a HfaM-a, 4 iH»ut!.» followed by bronchi:», acute and chronic. Very
and JO davr. often diving cause* dilation of the heart with valvular
iii. Radd-afc . about gb-gi day*. disease.