Page 355 - 1 Persian Trade rep Bahrain 1_Neat

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Currency.
English Sovereigns, and Indian Currency both paper and silver arc the
principal currency of the Bahrain Islands.
1G Annas =1 Rupee.
15 Rupee* = £ 1.
Maria Theresa Dollars arc not in much favour but are to some extent
current owing to their popularity on the mainland of Arabia. Exchange
fluctuated between 125 and 170 rupees per 100 dollars.

■Weights and Measures.
7VtighU.
1 Rati or Kiyas = 1*34 R>s. (Avoir.)
1 Rub*
I t Rubas = 1 Man . = 57-G „
10 Mans = 1 Rifaah = 576 „ „
There are eo proper standard weights and those used by shop-keepers are
frequently under staudard. ____________
In the pearl trade the unit of weight is based ou the Indian measure called
Chao, but the Bahrain Chao=A Indian Chaos.
100 Do^ra = 1 Chao.
330 Chaos — 1 Musical = 149 giaina Troy.
G6 Ilabbe = 1 MuskaL

Lineal Measure.
1 Dhira (Cubit) • = 18} inches.
4 Dhira = 1 Ba* (fathom) = 6 feet 3 inche*.

Introduction.—A general description of the physical, political and commer­
cial peculiarities of the Islands is given in the report for the year 1911-12
Annual series (A’o. 6052). Since last year’s report the population has slightly
decreased to about 103,000. The decrease is mostly amongst the foreigners,
and is duo partly to plague which appeared here at the end of the official year
and partly to the opening up of Mesopotamia where better prospects of business
exist.
The local Customs Department does not keep accurate statistics, conse­
quently these have to be prepared from steamers* and boats’ manifests access to
which has been readily given by the courtesy of the Customs Director. They
are, therefore, incomplete, especially as regards exports to the mainland, which
are all carried in native boats without manifests and over which the Customs
Director has no control owing to the merchandise having been shipped from
private godownsdirect into the boats without passing through the Customs
House. A large quantity of merchandise is also imported by native craft, of
which none except those coming from India carry manifests and, wbi-n the
owners of the native craft are Persians or Arabs, these manifests are not
always produced and, if produced, the cargo seldom agrees with the manifest.
The statistics regarding movements of pearls and specie are very incom­
plete, as numberf of local pearl merchants, who travel to and from "Bombay,
and the foreign pearl merchants, carry large quantities of pearls and specie in
their luggage or cn their person. There is no bank in Bahrain, and many lakhs
of rupees are brought in every year by registered post in the form of Indian
currency notes of Its. 1,000 and Its. 500. It is, of course, impossible to obtain
statistics of all these sums.