Page 228 - Bahrain Gov Annual Reports (II)_Neat

16
of tho Customs house facing the square. The building consists of ono large office, a
small office and a record room.
The reconstruction of the Post Offico entailed more expense than was
anticipated.
Miscellaneous. Rs. 4,296.
A flight of stone steps was built in front of tho central tower of the Palace
and the old wooden stairs were removed ; a steel folding door was put into the
archway at the head of the steps and a wooden door was fixed on the back stairs
bo that the Majlis and guest rooms could be locked separately.
Mosque at Hawar. Rs. 3,250.
A small mosque was built in the northern village at Hawar and various
water oisterns were repaired.
Kozabia House. Rs. 4,485.
Outstanding bills on account of the house at Kozabia which is let to the
Assistant Political Agent.
Budeya Garden drainage. Rs. 2,546.
The extension of the experimental garden at Budeya necessitated more drains
for surplus water.
Annual Repairs. Rs. 17,770.
Various special repairs not anticipated in the budget were carried out and
included under this heading.
Road Repairs. Rs. 19,298.
This includes the cost of metalling the Customs square and part of the
sea road.
Expenditure on works not included in the budget but sanctioned and carried
out during the year amounted to Rs. 44,000 and included the now Rifle Range and
shed at Safra, buildings at Adari spring, a now police post, jail, pier and tower at
Jida, additions to Hawar Port and alterations to the old rifle range and enlargement
of Budeya police post and public water tank.

The Pearl Industry.

The Pearl Industry. During the last war there was a boom in pearls and
many Bahrain merchants made small fortunes. When the present war began some
of the local dealers imagined that the pearl market would improve because of the
war. This, in my opinion, is unlikely. Twenty-five years ago the cultured pearl
had not appeared in the market: a pearl was a pearl and there was no question of its
being a cultured pearl. The war has now lasted long enough to show that a sudden
improvement in pearl prices is improbable.
Again there was a serious decrease in the number of the boats which went out
diving and a drop in the value of the catch although the quantity of pearls found
was greater than last year and the quality of the pearls was unusually fine. Pearls
were bought from the boats at less than last year’s prices but merchants sold their
goods at better prices towards the end of the season. The divers and nakhudas had
a bad season but the merchants and brokers did not fare badly.

The total number of the boats licensed during the year was 219 which is 33
less than in 1367. The amount received by the divers and nakhudas for their pearls
was approximately Rs. 6,26,000. This sum is calculated from actual figures of boat