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.Should however any enterprising Europcan .be desirous of experimenting upon the
profits, or otherwise, of this trade, l shall be ready to afford him every assistance in
my power, though 1 would hardly recommend him to embark upon so precarious a
speculation/'*
309. The Bombay Government entirely concurred in the “very judicious
views expressed by Captain Jones and Messrs. J. and W. Watson were inform­
ed that Government could not sanction the operations contemplated by them
in the Persian Gulf.
310. In the year 1862 a private company comprising among its members
British and Native Indian subjects, suddenly
Political A., July 11863, Nos. 4P-41*
commenced diving operations, with trained
divers and scientific appliances, in the Pearl 'Banks near Bahrein without any
reference to Government or the Residency. The organizer oj these operations
was one Mr. Plunkett and an Arab Baghla belonging to a Turkish Arabian sub­
ject was made use of by the divers. Captain Disbrowe, Officiating Political
Resident in the Persian Gulf, at once took steps to stop the operation. Be also
wrote to Colonel A. B. KembaU, Resident at Baghdad, proposing to convey in
custody the Turkish boat to Basrah.
3J1. The Resident at Baghdad was of opinion that he could take no action
in regard to the Baghla, which the Ottoman authorities would have regarded**
pursuing a lawful occupation. He expressed the opinion that the only way to
save the Arab tribes, who were mainly dependent for subsistence upon pearl
fishing, from foreign aggression was for the Supreme Government to regard the
Persian Gulf as a more clausum for purposes of pearl diving to all parties
coming from ports or coasts situated beyond its limits and to refuse protection
by proclamation accordingly to such parties, whatever their .nationality.
312. The-Government of Bombay, approved of Captain Dishrowe’s proceed­
ings and observed that the view taken by Colonel Kemball as to our general rights
and liabilities and the best course to be followed, should Mr. Plunkett’s experi­
ment be repeated, would be the correct one, and that while we are bound to use
our influence to prevent lawlessness and bloodshed arising out if fishing disputes,
we must be very careful not to involve ourselves in responsibilities for. the:
protection of the fishery which might lead to the infringement of the rights either
of the Arab tribes or of other nations.
313. They wished to have a report as to the extent of the fishing grounds,
their boundaries and rights, the method of settling disputes, etc. At the same
time it should be made to clear to the Arab tribes that our object is. to
protect them from any unauthorized unfringement of their rights by British
subjects and not to extend our authority over them. (Letter to -Colonel Pelly,
dated 8th Decemher 1862.)
314. Colonel Pelly, however, deprecated any enquiry into these questions,
especially since where written law does not obtain and where all rights and
boundaries are determined by an appeal to custom, to tough occupancy or to
armSj the definition of rights and boundaries in the sense in which we understand
definition must be a delicate proceeding. He summed up as follows :—
“ On the whole, and practically the beat course we can follow for the present is,
perhaps, to keep quiet: the fisheries are probably in the hands of those who can make
them pay best; if they be not, sooner or later competition will appear; meantime we hav.e
done all we can, and have done a great deal, in checking outrage by sea? in softening the
Arab vengeance, and in excluding our own subjects from perilous enterprise/’
315. The Bombay Government then suggested that the enquiry .might be
entered upon as a matter of history, without exciting any surprise or alarm on the
part of those interested in the pearl banks.
316. Colonel KembaJl also wrote to the Government of Bombay disoussing
the question, and wrote as regards the
Political Am January 1864, Nos. i*a.
extent and .ownership of the banks >—
“ Strictly speaking, no boundaries, as comprising or defining territorial rights, can be
assigned to the pearl banks: these banks, distinguished only as deep and shallowj.have
with one exception been confessedly open to all the tribes.**
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