Page 402 - 3 Persian Trade rep KUWAIT 1_Neat

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The British India Steam Navigation Company maintain a weekly sorvice
from India and a fortnightly service to India.
Steamers owned or chartered by the Persian Gulf Steam Navigation Com­
pany (33) II. M. H. Nemazi (8, including 4 Japanese), Eastern Steam Navi­
gation Company (4) and If. M. Muhammad Shirazi (1) also called on the
way from India as inducement offered.
With the exception of the four Japanese steamers mentioned above; all
steamers entering the port were sailing under the British flag.
The rate of freight by the British India Steam Navigation Company'*
fitcamcrs varied from £2-6-8 per Ion at the beginning of the year to £0-10-0
per ton at the end from Bombay or Karachi.
Tho average rate of freight by tho other lines was £1-0-8 per ton from
Bombay and £1 per ton from Karachi.

Transport,
During the greater part of the year there was no trade with Central
Arabia owing to the unsettled condition of the country.
The rates of transport ranged from £1-10 to £1 per 120 lbs. to Zilfi,
Buraidah and 'Anaizab, and the same to Shaqrab, Sudair and MahmaL

Pearl Fisheries.
About 320 Kuwait boats visited the pc3rl banks. The season, however,
was a bad one, both as regards the catch and the price of pearls. Some of
the leading merchants have not yet disposed of their 1920 pearls. Consider­
able nervousness is felt amongst the pearl merchants regarding the Japanese
“ culture ” pearl trade.
Sea Fisheries.

The only truly local produce of Kuwait is that yielded by the harbour
fisheries, which are4'a valuable asset. Besides float-and-weight nets and lines,
traps or tidal weirs, constructed of reed hurdles, are also employed; the fish
enter them with the flowing tide and are left behind at the ebb. The majority
of the fish caught is consumed locally, but a email proportion is dried and
exported to Basrah and elsewhere.

Boat Building,
Thirty-six boats, of an aggregate value of £6,420, were built during the
year. . Of these, however,' none had a carrying capacity of over 80 tons, and
only sixteen of over 20 tons. This figure is not included in the trade tables.

Labour,

The price of labour remained high throughout the year; an unskilled
labourer earned from 4/ to 6-4 a day, a carpenter from 9-4 to 12/, and a mason
or a boat builder from 13-4 to 16/ a day.

Minerals.

The only mineral product worked is gypsum mortar, which is manu­
factured by the simple process of firing rubbish in broad shallow excavations.
There is a large gypsiferous traot on the outskirts of Kuwait town, and it is
found in several other parts of the principality.