Page 406 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920_Neat

52 PERSIAN GULP ADMINISTRATION REPORT

pearls wore * despatched to Bombay for sale and export to America vtd
Burojpe. In 6omo instances extraordinary profits were mado; one pearl
bought for Its. 12,000 by a Kuwait, morebant was subsequently Bold by
him for Bs. 1,10,000, and another which oost Es. 19,000 fetched Us. 50,000.
Practically the whole balance of pearls in hand has now been disposed of.
The condition of Kuwait town in regard to crimo is unchanged; there
havo been no offences of any magnitude
Law and Crime.
during 1915 and no disturbances worthy
of mention.
No epidemics occurred during the year under review aud tho general
Public Uaitk health was as usual, very good. Eye
diseases, particularly in children, prevail
as in all Gulf' ports; these are the result of neglect, dust, and flics. Quarantine
arrangements have continued as before without hitch or untoward incident.
Tho Agency dispensary treated 2,831 patients during the year, a lesser
number than that treated in 1914 by 605. The decrease may bo attributed to
the development of tho [Mission hospital with its superior arrangements.
The following rates of exohange were
Exchange.
maintained during 1915,
. Maria Theresa dollars at Us. 125 to 126 per 100.
Turkish Liras at Us. 13-12 per Lira.
[Rupees and English sovereigns at their fixed values of annas 10 and
Es. 35 respectively.
Work was carried on by Dr. Mylrea in the Mission hospital during the year
and was much appreciated. The relations
Mission of the Reformed Chimb of America.
between the Missionaries and the Shaikh
and people of Kuwait have left nothing to be desired..
It has been decided to transfer the dcp6t for coaling Eis Majesty’s ships
from Bush ire to Kuwait, and a pier has
Coal DopCri.
been erected at Bandar Shvraikh, near the
Shaikh’s coal house. Arrangements for the entertainment of a staff, etc,, arc
under consideration: and it is hoped that the coal sheds will be set up before
long.
Nothing hqs occurred in connection with the Arms Traffic during the year,
and the reality of Sir Mubarak’s efforts
Arms Trade.
in its suppression in more than eve?
apparent,
The sympathy of Shaikh Sir Mubarak and his co-opcration in the direction
of public opinion regarding the war were
The War.
maintained during the year up to his
lamented decease at the end of November. In %January, His Excellency
presented a handsome donation of Rs. 50,000 to British Eed Cross Funds, and
in July not only complied promptly when asked to send boats to Bushire to
assist in landing British troops, but insisted oil defraying all expenses connected
with the expedition. Again, later in the year, when a British aeroplane was
unfortunately lost near the Euphrates north of Basrah, the Shaikh, in accord­
ance with a request from the Army Commander, sent out search parties and
declined to accept any remuneration towards the expenditure thereby incurred.
His energy in suppressing all anti-British talk in the town was untiring.
Early in April, during the absence of the Shaikh at Mobammcrah, it was
suspected that one Shaikh Muhammad Shangaiti, a Moorish doctor of religion,
was preaching a jehad within Kuwait territory. On his return His Excellency
sent for the Sliaugaiti and, having given him an interesting description of his
gelations with His ^Majesty’s Government and tho views ho held with regard
to the Turks, informed him in forcible language that any further conduct of
the kind reported would lead to his execution. The Shangaiti disappeared
from Kuwait forthwith and has not returned. Tho new Shaikh, Jabir bin
Mubarak; has continued to support us in this respect and has recently dealt
firmly with a. Persian resident of Kuwait who was found to he writing to
friends elsewhere giving unfavourable views of allied prospects and situations.

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