Page 273 - Records of Bahrain (4) (i)_Neat

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The pearl industry, 1924-1927 261

though theoretically unaosnilablo, io in practico a consi-
dorablo hardship on tho nakhudu. In tho pearl t.rado bargains
can only bo made by Wwa astuto "haggling" v/ith a would-be
purchaser and by closing suddenly with a favourable offer.
If the nakhuda io hanperod by having to coneult 2/^rds of his
crow, who are mostly ignorant of the market value of the
pearls, ho io precluded from making a good bargain, On shore,

when the diving season is over, tho divers scatter almost
atonoo to their homes and nakhudao have to my knowledge in
many cases had tho greatest of difficulty in assembling 2/srds
of their crew for a sale of the pearls, and in many cases
they have lost valuable opportunities in doing so.

I venture to think that there io in the present petition
a suggestion which is well worth consideration, If at the

beginning of t;-e diving §0 ($60 season, the crew were to elect
by a majority vote a limited number of their own fellows, to
represent their interests in tho sale of the pearls throughout
tho diving oeason, much of the difficulties now experienced
by the nakhuda would be alleviated, and tho interests of the
crew would bo adequately protected.

I would suggest that one representative for every 10 or
fraction of ten of the crow would be sufficient.

In regard to the remaining points raised in the petition
I would suggest that the duties of the diver towards tho
nakhuda on shore and at sea, during the diving season and
immediately before and afterwards bo defined in a proclamation
by Sheikh liamad. Questions such as the arrest of 4ltto runaway'
divers and tho postponement of ordinary disputes till after
the find of the diving season might be similarly dealt with
in the sane proclamation.

I submit the above suggestions merely from a desire to

record my impressions and experiences during the late diving
with
season and^no object of embarasoing Major Daly whom you will
no