Page 202 - Bahrain Gov Annual Reports (I)_Neat

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Makhudo and the divers. It dees not represent the real
value of tlie pearls as before they reach the final purchaser

in Bahrein they often client hands several times and are
frequently sold and resold attain in India. As an instance
of this during a previous season a record sized pearl was

found which was bought by the tajafc^from his Nukhuda for
,;$ 75,000/-. It was eventually sold, during the same season,
in 3ahrein for about Es 200,000/-.

From these figures it is shown that the original amounts
^3id to the Nokhudas for !heir pearls amounted to ]ess than
half the priae paid last year. The proportion of this

decrease which is owing to the lad market and that owing
to the smollness of the catch cannot be differentiated. The
catch wes acid to be a poor one, not os good os the previous

year’s. It can be assumed that the remainder of the soles
were proportionally the some.
Out of 249 boats only the divers of three boots received

any shares in the profits, the rest of the beats jwid no
dividends as the expenses not only swollowed up the whole
of the profits but exceeded them so thot at the end of the

season the divers received nothing, but their debts to
their Nokhudas increased. These expenses include advances
sni interest on the same, cost of rations, licenses and olso

the Nekhuda’s share from the sales, what remains is supposed
to be divided among the divers.
DIVERS’ DEBTS. One poor season, one bad season and the

prospect of another very bad season will hove an unfortunate
effect on the important question of the grcdual reduction of
divers1 debts. From ti.e time of the diving reforms until

1246 there wes a steady decrease in the amounts owing to the
:kkhudas by the divers, but from 1247, there has on the whole
been en increase though owing to the government’s policy of
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