Page 131 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920

POR THE YEAR 1912. 121
H M S. “Odin,*’ 28th April.
JJ# j£. S. “ Sphinx,” on 29th July,
jl. I. M. S. “ Lawrence,” four times during the year.
ftt J. H. S. “ Palinurus” 'which was engaged in the survey work called
several times in the first quarter of the year.
(jjjc news of the institution of the Anns Warehouse in Maskat
Armi Traffic. wa a received as might have been expected
with some dissatisfaction particularly by
. c traders still interested in the Arms Traffic. From reports reaching
?* Political Agent it appears that arms, evidently from old stocks, do
ill find *keir way to Kuwait in small quantities probably from Katr,
? oU2ii the high price weapons fetch in Kuwait shows that the traffic cannot
•' extensive. • About the beginning of April there was an unconfirmed rumour
that 1,200 rifles had been landed secretly at Shuwaikh. Some arms certainly
npeared to have been landed, but enquiries did not establish their number or
from what vessel and in whose interest.
A certain amount of feeling was aroused on the arrival of several large
bu^alows returning from India which had been searched by His Majesty’s
Ships for arms. As none were found on hoard and the owners were respect­
able men the Shaikh took up their complaint rather strongly. The loss and
damage suffered in the process of search was subsequently compensated by the
Government of India.
M. Ibrahim Elbaz, the French arms dealer in Maskat, arrived on the
l3fb June with Nakhoda Mahdu Abdulla. He spent three weeks in Kuwait
and left on the 5th July after closing his accounts with his former agent,
Abdulla Atiji. He was reported to have approached several merchants for
appointment as his agents but the offer was declined.
The Shaikh was given permission to import 6,000 arms for his own and
his people’s use on the understanding that they should not be sold elsewhere,
fie lias not up to date availed himself of the full number permitted.
Only one application was received for manumission during the year from a
local slave woman ; her case was investi­
Slave Trade.
gated and subsequently she became recon­
ciled lo her master.
The Kuwait pearliug fleet left for the hanks early in May with at least
100 new boats added. The fleet returned
Pearl Fisheries.
during August for the Ramazan fast
month and returned to the banks for a month’s fishing during September and
October.
The catch of pearls was very fair and slightly above average ; prices were,
however, very high, and pearl-towashes were compelled to pay dearly for what
they bought from the boats. The result has been that the divcis have had
an excellent season, in a few cases a diver’s share having been as much as
hs. 1,500 to 2.000, hut there were very many, on the other hand, who did not
wive more than Es. 200. Three ’ notably fine pearls were fished which
Yere sold from the boats for Rs. 47,000, Rs. 27,000 and Rs. 23,000 respec-
lively ; the first was a perfect sphere said to be the size of a small marble and
jo weigh some 17 carats. Prices appear to have ruled quite 20 to 30 per cent,
higher than last year, but there was a sudden drop and a stagnant market at
the close of the year following on the outbreak of the Turco-Balkan war.
News of a piracy off Katr reached Kuwait on 30th December 1912.
The Victims were it appears a Nakhoda
umcj' Husein, his son and a Kuwait Arab
*ho had left Kuwait in their own “ bellam ” for Basrah and thence Katr
jQd Oman ports with a cargo of dates for sale. “Whilst returning to Kuwait
Ihe three were murdered by the rest of the crew who coveted their goods and
JQ°ney. The crew made for the Persian coast and whilst weather-bound off
^ Sabandj the Shaikh of the place, Sagar bin Khalfan, on the information of
^ negro member of the crew, arrested them. On information reaching Kuwait
culprits were, through the Residency, transferred to Kuwait for triaL