Page 124 - 1 Persian Trade rep Bahrain 1_Neat

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Ncjd is supplied from Bahrain cm TTasa and this tho prosperity of Bahrain to anv
route is utilized to supply Bedouin wants up to a the pearl oyster shell, which i«nt nn<* UiM •
point probably eoinowhoro half-way between Kiadli quantities to Hamburg (other ctport?1TCd
and Zilfi, from whenco and beyond either tlio Kuwait report aro raero transhipment^ Vho*n tU
or Zubair routes are used. There appears to bo liltlo thills used to bo shipped to iindon"”.'/1' ,l'w
likelihood during tho next few years of many improve­ greater facilities, or better roachW batovri"Eto
ments being raado in tho lino of communications or in tho whole trodo has boon transfer^' ^^1/
diminution of looting and fighting. Tbo utmost that In tho year under report tho oxporU w
can bo expected is for tho Ojair-jjofuf (Hnsa) route havo exceeded aU proviooa year, and fv ■ hc"i
to be kept clear of Bedouin, when trado would have greater number of exporters and in wll!,B dnc to
some chance of increase, but oven then this country is This trado is nearly at its zenith uow^ rricct-
of too poor a naturo to make much difference to trado quantity, but may probably improve in
for some years to come. It may therefore bo said that quantity could of course be very WlJ • ^
there is little to be expectod from increased trade with only tho present market has no denied hfT**1
the mainland for some years and at no time is it ever Inferior oyster sheila, and so largo qnantitie, of ft"
likely to riBO to any great dimensions. which are fished up are again discarded. n°*°
(<f) Increase of luxnries in the last few years has
8. Before leaving the topic of pearls. I u
been largely noticeable in tho town of Manama and submit the opinion that it is a pity that no BrVi
generally among the richer inhabitants of Bahrain, no
doubt consequent upon their going to Bombay in con­ firm can see their way to send a representative t
nection with pearl transactions. Among the poorer Bahrain for tho pearl season. A Mr. Rosenthal of
classes no snch symptoms are visible except perhaps in Messrs. Rosenthal and Frcres, Paris, has cov
the food line, and they continue to live on conteutcd in regularly coine to Bahrain for the last lour seasons
their mat and date palm huts. Neither does there and his transactions in these years are said to hare
appear to be much prospect of the ignorant inhabi­ amounted to Rs. 1,87,000 (£*12,467), Rs. 3 50 000
tants on the mainland making any attempt to better (£23,333), Rs. 13,00,000 (£-6,667), Rs. -toioo’ooo
their condition. (£2,65,667), respectively, this includes buying and
reselling perhaps two or three or more times ia
The riso in cost of living continues steadily. I coorsc of season, so actual capital was not nearly so
am told by old inhabitants that some forty years much.
ago the richest people in Bahrain only owned about
half a lakh of rupcos (£5,000 at then rate of He is able to get the best available direct informa­
exchange), while at present time there aro one or I tion by weekly telegraph from Paris market, which
two whose property is valued at 10 lakhs (£60,000) enables him to effect his tiansactions on much more
substantial grounds than his rivals, and to such
aud several worth over one lakh. It is said that in extent is this recognized that as far as his trans­
the meantime coBt of living has risen about 400 actions become known he is used by the other
per cent. merchants as a weather-cock of the market. The
Now this is duo almost entirely to necessities of profits made by him last year were estimated br­
life having increased in value and also to a greater other pearl merchants between 9 and 15 lakhs of
consumption of rice, floor and animal foods, in rupees, but I think that a gain of 6 lakhs is cot
addition to the cheap date which formerly formed a overstating the facts of the case. Such excellent
much greater percentage of their daily bread. From results could not be hoped for annually, and were
this point of view therefore we may expect increase largely due to the gradually increasing tone of the
in value of trade put through. market. So successful, however, was he that smee
5. In a report of this nature it is only possible to the termination of the year nndor report, his firm
go very briefly into the main points which are likely have sent another representative to Debai.
to affect fature trade, but I considered reference 9. Other European pearl merchants, such «
thereto advisable to show merchants that their Monsieur Gaston^ Pcrrone and Madame
profits would increase yearly.
Nattan, have visited Bahrain, hut their iw
6. The result may be summed up that the average not, I believe, successful- This I an 0 .
-value of trade at the end of the next twenty years attributable to want ot local knowledge, on
may at least be expected to be about 50 per cent, years, and the fact that in the brighterlight
higher than it is at the present day, bat that it will East pearls assume a lustre greater than they-po
always entirely depend on the valae cf pearls, and in the duller European lights. j’enoted
the above rough estimate is made on the supposition 10. Should any British comply
that pearls will then average in value some 20 per to send a representative, I would be g gimplj
cent, higher than they average now. The additional any questions in my power, and "‘{““A,, the end
30 per cent, is allowed for increased population, state that the favourable time would the
divers and prices of merchandise. of Jane till the end of October, ® * ^he East
7. Beyond pearls there is only one article which representative should have exP?rJeDWft
can be termed a natural export and which can aid and if possible some knowledge of