Page 327 - 1 Persian Trade rep Bahrain 1_Neat

REPORT

ON TIIE

TRADE OF THE BAHRAIN ISLANDS

FOR TIIE

Tear ending tlio 31st March 1916-

Introduction. export of merchandise, tho prices of all articles
■were great!/ increased coring the year under
A general description, of tbe physical, politi­ report.
cal aud Commercial peculiarities of tbe Islands Owing to severe restrictions on the export of
is given in the report for tbe year 1911-12
(Annual eerie* No. 5052). Since last year's specie from India pearl merchants experienced
report tbe regular population has decreased to difficulties in obtaining funds for purchase of
pearls, and began to import rice by the sale of
about 105,000. which they put themselves in funds in lien of
Tbe local Customs Department docs not keep specie. Hence the increase in the import of rice by
accurate statistics, consequently these have to be £115,3S1 over the year 1914-15. A large quantity
prepared from steamer’s manifests access to which of currency notes also were imported by passen­
has been readily given by the courtesy of the gers on their persons and exchanged here for
Customs Director. They are, therefore, incom­ silver at a loss of 5 per cent-
plete, especially as regards exports to the main­
land, which are all carried in native boats without Contrary to expectation the pearl market
manifests. A large quantity of merchandise is revived and the prices obtained were about 50 per
also imported by native crafts, of which none cent higher than those ruling in the previous year,
except those coming from India and owned by exports of pearls showing value of £130,300 aa
Indians carry manifests. compared with £77,033 in the previous year.
The chief cause of this rise was the increased
The statistics regarding movements of pearls demand for pearls in the United States, which in
^d specie are very incomplete, as numbers of pre-war years was the second best market, England
bcal pearl merchants who travel to and from and France being first. Pearls still find their
Bombay, and the foreign pearl merchants carry way to America via the usual routes, Bombay,
large quantities of pearls and specie in their Paris and London. There was a fair demand for
v?j***e or on *keir person. There is no tank in pearls also in India itself.
. iira,n» and many lakhs of rupees are brought
? ,?vel7 by registered post in the form of Openings for British Trade,
*ndian currency notes of fil.000 or R500. It is,
course, impossible to obtain statistics of all The trade of the Bahrain Islands is to a great
^ese sums.
extent in the hands of Eindo, Indian Muham­
madan and Persian merchants who bare been
Effects of war. settled in these islands for over a century, and thus
kcompirison with 1914-15, which wa. Jso a by far the greater portion of the trade is with
India. Messrs. Gray, Paul and Co., the British
iaprovement^ ** ee?€ral stoWi * decided
India Agents is the only British firm. The
absence of direct communication with the United
****** of steamship service and Kingdom and consequent till high freights still
e restriction imposed in India on the handicap British trade, and there does not seem