Page 266 - Bahrain Gov Annual Reports (I)_Neat

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Pearl industry. -3- i 4

and Ks 150/- end before the amounts were controlled
by Government divers were in some cases advanced
five or six hundred rupees at Selaf or Tesquara.

Bankrupt Nauldiudr.s. Istofa. An unusually
large number of Naukhudas have become bankrupt this
year and their boats and divers have been taken over
by their Tajars. These bankruptcy proceedings are

in reality cases between Naukhuda and Tajar and are
dealt with according to diving laws, not according

to Shera or commercial law. Uhen a ITaukliuda has
become deeply in debt to his Tajar the Tajar very
frequently refuses to lend him any more money to equip
his boat and give advances to the divers, the Tajar

has then the right to close his account with the
Naukhuda taking over his boats at a valuation which

is assessed by a committee, and completing the amount of
his claim by taking over divers according to the debts
which they have against them in their books. Accord­

ing to custom the Tajar has no right to take over any
of the Naukhudafs property except boats and divers.
3ut during the last two or three years, owing to

the slump in the pearl trade, conditions which have
existed from time immemorial have begun to change.
Because divers are no longer regarded as slaves

their value as a transferable' commodity has decreased.
Tajars find that to take over half a lac worth of
divers is not as advantageous as it used to be.
Under the present law if a diver dies his children can­

not be made responsible for his debt, as they used
to be, and he cannot be used as a labourer in house or

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