Page 45 - 2 Persian Trade rep Bahrain 2_Neat

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The following are the amounts of the advances left with the buyer until she owner decides whether
rincc the reforms. Prcvioisly good divers were some­ he will sell or not.
times lent ns xmch as Rs. 7<X) for one advance It ifl remarkable than though there is article
opportunity for theft and cheating by brokers
very few cases of this sort actually occur. Often
Tf»r, SaUf. . Kharjl>«ti.
1 nion who arc literally bankrupt <arry round pearls
that arc worth lacs of rupees. Pearl brokers arc
R*.
Hvrr* . . IW 1 not licensed and do not have to deposit a security
as is the rule with bazar brokers.
fuller* . j 141 I Taicashah.—While the pearling fleet is at the
. 1 no rjjr."
J343 Mver* : banks, brokers and apents of the big shore
' fuller* merchants visit the fleet, an the boat* which take out
provisions to the divers aod for the parpose of buying
13(4 Diver* • I 1*0
< fuller* eo eo pearls. According to emstora when a Tawasbah
buyer has boarded a boar none other can interrupt
13(3 Diver* 10) 2'. f-0 hi* bargaining with the Xakbuda. Other prospective
Poller* I K) eo buyers have to lie off till the deal h finished.
134C I»Jvrr» 100 2* 100 Motor launches.—During recent years the number
of motor launches in Bahrein has much increased.
IMII< r» *■0 2> SO
13 }7 Dlv< ri • urr- nt jmr. < f 10-1 They consist of locally built boats with motor
engines.
' Puller* : }• v so
Cultured pearls.—The increasing number of cul­
The di'ina reforms.—The diving reforms were tured pearls which find their way into the pearl
instituted on the suggestion of the Political Agent, market is said to be having a bad effect on pearl
Major Daly, in 1921. The object was to give the trade iu general. Tles-e pearls, which are worth
divers fairer conditions and to help them to reduce about *rd the value of a real j-earl, cannot be dis­
their debts. The rcforiLS effected several improve­ tinguished, even by an expert, without an elaborate
ments, regukr account*, a fixed rate of interest, eb-ctrically worked apparatus. Last season several
definite advances, and the abolition of the old cultured pearls were -detected in Bahrein. Mr.
Salfah Court, a notoriously corrupt diving court. B:«-nenfield, the partner of Mohamed ili Zainal,
The market.—Most of the important buying and brought out with him the apparatus for testing
selling is dcoe on shore. The biggest buyers arc p«=orls. In cases of bo-red pearls it is considered
the C'ontincrta! merchants, Messrs. Rosenthal and infallible, but in the case: of unboccd pearls h leaves
Pack, Mohaaae'dali Zairul and his partner Biencn- a slight margin of doulbt. A needle, containing in
field, and oi>» c-r tvro Inlian and Persian merchants. itself two minute mirrors, is introduced into the
They usually arrive fust after the opening of the pearl itself and by means of powerful electric light
main season and leave- a week or two after ix closes. the inside of the pearl is so illuminated that one
The pearls are polished and graded in Bombay can see whether the heart of the pearl is natiual
and then taken to Paris and London for sale to or not.
English and American buyers. If more big buyers The Bahrein Government las forbidden tbc
came from Europe Local prices would be higher import of calturcd as well as artificial pearls, but
and Bahrein w^iuld profit. Possibly easier communi­ in the former case it is impossible for the Customs
cation between: Europe and the East, especially by officers to detect them. It was suggested that the
air, and improved livin' conditions in Bahrein will Government should purchase one of the testing
induce more buyers to «ome here in the future. machines and charge a fee to the users.
None of the buyers pay cash down. Sometimes The 'pearl catch.—It is impossible to sute the
payments are not completed until the following average value of the season’s catch; as there is no
season, but usually KaT is paid on purchase and export duty in Bahrein no figures exist showing
the remainder carried oxer for three or four months. the value of the pearls which are taken down to
Brohcrs.—Much of tLe actual buying and selling India. All Xakhudas do not Lave their accounts
is done by brokers who carry pearls from merchant to made up by the official diving clerks, so a reference
merchant offering them for sale. Brokers pet com­ to them is insufficient. Last year it was said that
mission froa the buyer, or occasionally, by special the pearls in Bahrein at. the end of the season were
arrangement, from both parties. When the pros­ worth about two million pounds. Mohamedidi
pective buyer has made a definite offer three notes Zainal, who bought mostly in BaLrein, took £600,000
are written describing: the weight of the pearls and worth of pearls to London at tie end of tie 1927
amount offered. The bidder keeps one note, the season. As rough estimate it can be said that a
broker take* another and the third is placed with year’s catch is worth between one and three million
the pearia which are sealed up by the broker and pounds.