Page 123 - 1 Persian Trade rep Bahrain 1_Neat

REPORT

OP THE
TRADE of THE BAHRAIN ISLANDS FOR THE

YEAR 1909-10.

1 Tho year under report has been a most saccfcss- revival of proapority in Europe and America ia
hi one for Bahrain trade. The results may entirely immediately followed by a corresponding rise in the
U considered due to the favourable market for pearls value of pearls.
which averaged about 3d per cent hi-ber tlian the Thirdly, the average price cf good quality pearls
pneediu1,' year and which showed an upward tendency
throughout the season, enabling old stocks to be got during the last thirty years has quite been doubled
rid ofand the season’s pearls to be readily dLpoiod although no doubt in years of bad trade of even
quite recent date, enormous drops have occurred and
of. owing to scarcity of money-pearls have been a drug
o. The whole wealth of the island depends upon on the market. For our purposes however it is useless
jvcvls. and this is also true of the adjacent mainland to take iudividaal years, and as the average value has
coast line although the interior is dependent on their risen with the general prosperity of the world there
aatvfc, crops and cattle. seems to be every reason to believe that pearls will
3. Bahrain is a feeder for many articles of pro­ continue to rise in value even in spite of the
duce for the mainland, the most important being large annual output.
rice, coffee, kerosine oil, sugar soft, sugar loaf, piece
cool', sail cloth, gold lace and gold thread (when (6) The population of Bahrain may now be esti­
mainland inhabitants are prosperous), tea (increariug mated at close on 100,000 inhabitants and is likely to
bat never likely to make m*ich progress as long as continue increasing owin^ to influx from other places
the Arabs remain so fond cf coffee), ghee, spices and on account of its prosperity and its more enlightened
tobacco. rule. Also natural increase of population. It seem*
probable that it would continue to increase for the
4. To arrive at some conclusion about the future next 10 to 20 years at the rate of about 3 per cent,
possibilities of Bahrain from a trade point of view, per annum. This however depends principally on
we must therefore consider both Bahrain itself ar-d the pearl market and the number of divers available
the mainland. Since both are practically governed
hut also to some extent on the amount of data culti­
by the pearl fisheries we have tho following consi­ vation which is capable of considerable extension.
deration before us
It should be noticed that the increase in population
(а) The future value of pearls. is more likely to be among the poorer classes who
will be attracted from other countries by the ruling
(б) Population of Bahrain.
high rates of wage, and the freedom from oppression.
(c) Population of mainland and infernal
communication to Haaa and Nejd. (c) The mainland whose wants are practically
(d) Natural increase of propensity for luxuries supplied from Bahrain consists of the Qatar peninsula
and rise in cost of living. and the provinces of Hasa and Nejd. Owing to
rvirt ? ^0es no* aPPear probable that the artificial constant fighting there appears to be no present pro­
natural ma^£, will ever take the place bability of any rise in population, or increase in the
prosperity of Hasa and Nejd. Qatar is generally
free from fighting but it seems to be each a miser­
^ W00 l(* appear that the general demand able country that no largo increase can he expected
101 pearls is more than up to the supply, and any in that direction.
1398 P. D.