'Gazetteer of Arabia Vol. I' [‎366] (385/1050)

366
BAHRAIN"
There are probably 500 or more pistols in Bahrain.
The Shaikh owns some 6 rusty old signalling guns.
Ports.
Bahrain can hardly be called a port. The usual anchorage is abotit U miles W of
Man amah. Ships drawing 18 feet and over anchor about three miles out. The inner
anchorage is merely a " hole " in which there is room for two ships of the size of the
smaller British India Gulf mail steamers at a tima. At the outer anchorage shins
usually anchor in a single line. 0 r
la 1901 a light draught man-of-war anohorsd between Muharraq and Qasabiva.
commanding both Muharraq aul Manamah at short range.
The prevailing wind, the shamal, blows dead on shore from the anchorage " but th©'
shoals to the North prevent the sea from getting up dangerously. No case*} are'on record
ot steamers having had to clear out owing to high winds.
The beach shelves very gradually and is of mud interspersed with coral rock
At low springs the tide go3S out 270 yards leaving the Customs' pier and the Ao-encv
jetty dry. A coral reef marked by a beacon runs from a point 5 cables' length south-
east of the inner anchorage in a north-easterly direction right round Muharraq. It is-
bare for the greater part of its length at low tide.
This reef is clear of the course of boats from bath anchorages to the Customs' pier •
but, except at high tides, boats for the Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. jetty, Muharraq and the Qasabiya land
ing places have to round the beacon before turning east.
There are no dangerous currents and tides do not run strong enough to interfere
with the landing of troops to any extent, but at some tides there is difficulty in bringing
the awkward local boats along side ships. 0
The British India company employ a few men who act as pilots to their vessels. At
least 200 of the local boatmen are capable of acting as pilots for sailing boats to the
various landing places, but most of these men are absent during the pearling season.
There is no harbour master and no civilized harbour arrangements.
The Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. has a 60-ton steam launch, but, as it draws 6 feet, it would not be
of much use for towing boats except at high tide.
* Landing arrangements.
Regular arrangements for landing cargo were instituted in 1914; and Messrs. Gray
Paul and Company are landing contractors for the British India Steam Navigation
Company, whose steamers are the most numerous of those visiting Bahrain.
They have ten large boats of a capacity of 40 tons of cargo drawinp- from 6^ to 8 feet
which are always kept manned. Besides Messrs. Gray, Paul's there are a very lar^e
number of similar boats and smaller boats known locally as " jolly boats " (Arabic plural
44 jawali bit") quite sufficient for the landing of troops from as many transports as could
be assembled at the outer anchorage. When the pearling fleet is at sea it would how-
ever, be impossible to man more than 20 or 30 of these, and that with the less expert
boatmen.
The beach, as has been said, shelves very gradually, and the presence of the reef in
front of Manamah prevents boats from coming right in except opposite the Customs
pier. Here at low springs not even jolly boats can discharge at the pier, but the boat
men are accustomed to bring the boats in as fear as they can and discharge cargo on to-
donkeys.
The Customs pier is 180 yards long, and narrows from 85 to 33 feet in breadth.
There is_7 feet of water alongside for the greater part of its length at high tide. The
Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. jetty, 200 yards long by 5 feet wide, is less favourably placed owing to the shallow"
channel in front of it.
The whole of the beach in between'the Customs and Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. is available for beaching
boats at low tide, and at high tide boats can come alongside Messrs. Gray, Paul's wal£
about half way in between, but the extreme narrowness of the streets of the bazaar-
constitutes a serious obstacle, and it is not till the Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. is reached that there is a clear
way to the camping grounds behind the town.
It must be noted that men wading ashore are apt to cut their feet in the coral, an(J
that as the mud of the beach is very foul, blood poisoning usually ensues.
Pace for store depots is also very restricted at the Customs House. Near the Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent.
jV. B. For further information see Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. Pilot, the new edition of which is now being compiled.