Page 418 - Bahrain Gov Annual Reports (I)_Neat

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as and when they chose. This loose arrangement
was very unsatisfactory, and created considerable
unnecessary difficulty in the collection of the dues.
•So, as each sanad fell due for rep merit I proceeded to
impound the craft concerned until u- yment; end I am
slad to rewort thet I collected all the pearling
license fees due to the State without having recourse
to the courts at all.
\
The uermission to \ive sanad, hov/ever. has created
an unfortunate precedent, which I fear will be resorted
to again this year with its consequent trouble in
collecting the dues which ought to have been prepaid
before the rekba.
Harbour lights. The institution of the laree. light
on the customs pier at Manamah has v/orthilv served its
purpose, and it'is admitted to be of assistance to
craft entering or leaving the wort at or after sunset,
^ith this experience in mind, the oil lamp at the mast
head at the Kaharaq customhouse was replaced with an
hundred-watt white electric light; and this light has
proved to be of even greater benefit both to steamers
and native craft than was at first hoped, for its range
of vision is not interrupted by the date palms at
Galalee, so that it can be distinguished at some dis­
tance beyong the outer (white) buoy. I am informed
that the light is especially useful to the uearling
fleets; so for that'reason it is proposed to light
it throughout the season instead of (as at present)
half the~month, and when steamers are expected or m
port.
The Mananah light ranks in the Admiralty sailing
directions as an ’occasional* light, i.e., one to be
lighted upon request; and since Bahrain is not in the
dirept line of Gulf traffic, it is well that it should
remain so; but I understand from navigating officers,
and particularly from K.H.S.^Ormonde" that the existence
of the two lights is a very ‘definite help to ships enter­
ing the port after sunset m making a suitable anchorage.
The only other urgent improvement in the li ?hting of
the port needed at present is the altering of the Tfest
Spit Buoy into a lighted buoy, and preferably a flash
light.

A suggestion has been made that a light should be
nut upon the Portuguese Port; but I do not*. approve oi
this.at present, as there are so many practical diffi­
culties in the way of its efficient maintenance tnat
it really would not be prudent to undertake the res­
ponsibility for such a light.

It has sometimes been urped that the old beacon
built ur>on the Has Zarwan by flirza Ismail (the first
3.1.3.N.Coy’s agent in Bahrain) and thus popularly
known as the ’Cray Paul’ beacon, should be lit, th e
reason being that this beacon, and the ’Vest Suit hjf
huoy and the Menameh Pier licrnt are in transit, and
consequently this fact would enable a steamer at nigrn;
quite readily to find a safe anchorage. But there is
no need to urge this noint since not five per.cent
of the steamers.using this port enter it at night, ,
L v/ith the need for a lighted Tfest Spit Buoy.
and the suggestion is of very minor importance compared