Page 440 - Bahrain Gov Annual Reports (I)_Neat

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The Peorl trade and the Diving industry.

The 1352 season.

The slump in the pearl trade and the conse­

quent depression in the diving industry still con­
tinues hut it appears that the 1352 season showed
a slight improvement over the previous season.
I form this opinion after examining the accounts

of the authorised diving clerks who make up the
accounts between the divers and their nakhudas.
These clerks have dealt with the accounts of 345
boats out of a total of 436 end I have taken the

results of their accounts as a besis on which to
calculate the average of the whole catch, These
figures represent the rockbottom prices paid to
the nakhudas, they differ very greatly to the

. prices obtained on shore when the pearls have
passed through the hands of several merchants and
they differ even more to the prices paid for the
same pearls by foreign buyers in 3ahrain and

3ombay and ultimately in Europe.
2. The results of my calculation are as
follows.
Year. total i\0. oi Total value of
boats. pearls in Rs.
■I
1347/1348 538
1348/49 509 Rs 21,25,000/-
_ 1349/50 504 18 32,000/-
1350 If 456 12,14,000/-
13 436 13,40,000/-

For the purpose of comparison I have included the
the figures of previous years. jUthough 20 less
boats went out to the banks the value of the catch
was li lacs more than the previous year.

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