'Administration Report of the Persian Gulf Political Residency for the Years 1911-1914' [‎196v] (397/488)

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PERSIAN GUIiF ADMINISTRATION REPORT
CHAPTER XI
ADMINISTRATION EEPORT FOE THE KUWAIT AGENCY An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. FOE
THE YEAE1913.
Politically the year 1913 has been of more than usual importance in the
history of Kuwait but, from an economic
point of view, it was rather unsatisfactory,
for the anticipations of a dry year in last year's report unhappily proyed to be
true and a bad pearl season further aggravated the depression of local
merchants.
The caravan routes, however, were safe throughout the year, but the desert,
nearly everywhere, was barren and the condition of the cattle and live-stock
consequently poor, leading to a comparatively small trade with Bedouin. A
bad pearl-season bears particularly hardly upon the poorer classes and those who
are improvident were to be seen selling their women's jewellery, household
goods and -even garments in order to make both ends meet.
The ensuing year, so far at least as the desert tribes and people are concern
ed, promises a better outlook, for fairly heavy rains have been reported in the
hinterland, a fact which, together with a mild winter, usually means ample
grazing for flocks and herds.
The total rainfall registered at the Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. Observatory was only 3 inches
and 13 cents, which is much below the
Climate and Rainfall. « ■ rrn
average of past years. The summer was
unusually mild and late, for the highest maximum temperature recorded during
the year was 113-5 for the 18th August, and September proved to be the only
really oppressive month. The lowest minimum temperature recorded was SO 1 8
for the 6th Eebruary as against 24 7 and 36 0 in 191] and 1912, respectively.
An extract prepared from the Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. daily meteorological observations
forms an Appendix to this report.
In the beginning of January a Khan" or "Kapandari" of which one
Khalil bin Ebrahim Khattan had the farm
for some B4i,000 for 3 years, was re-
farmed by the Shaikh to one Jasim bin Mahammad Budai for E7,000. The
probable reason for this large advance was some private ill-feeling between
the old and new farmers for the Shaikh took the unusual course of cancelling
Khalil's agreement and refunding the proportion due for the unexpired portion
of his farm when he accepted Jasim's higher bid.
In the 3rd week of April it was reported that some Katif (or Katr) Arabs,
who came to buy wool, ghi, sheep, etc., from A wazim Arabs on the coast south
of Kuwait, were summarily dealt with by Shaikh Salim bin Mubarak. It
appears that, for fiscal purposes, it is necessary that all such purchases should
be made in Kuwait town and to prevent a recurrence of such practices Shaikh
SaUm confiscated all that these Katif (or Katr) Arabs had, excepting only their
boats, and " sent them empty away."
Garbled reports having reached Kuwait, in May, of a settlement
between the British and Turkish Governments regarding the Baghdad Eailway,
under which the terminus would be at Kuwait, a number of merchants have
been acquiring sites from the Shaikh on the foreshore west of the town, at
rates distinctly remunerative to the Shaikh.
At the instance of Shaikh Nasir bin Mubarak and some young Arabs with
-4 u, t J.. .. 'soi-disanf aspirations to progress, a
chantabie institutions. charitable fund was opened, in Eebruary,
with the laudable object of importing a Muhammadan doctor for a free
dispensary, to provide funds for supplying water free of cost to deserving P oor
and for granting free passages by steamer to distressed Muhammadans, etc.,
etc. Over 82,000 was said to hav® been subscribed and a house given as a