'File 19/176 I (C 39) Bahrain Finances' [‎210r] (444/654)

in the diving trade which increases their prestige and power.
T^h/state of pearl aarket is said to be the result of
the iisturbed condition of India t the recent financial crisis
in jaerica, end the increased production of cultured pearls.
• It is to be hoped that conditions in India and /onerica will
soon iairove, but the .uestion of cultured pearls is not a temp
orary matter t The authorities in Bahrein cannot prevent this
trade, but they do all that possible to prohibit the inportation
or circulation of cultured pearls in Bahrain so that Bahrein
may ac jiire and retain the reputation of exporting only real
Dearls.
The general condition of divers is gradually improving
tnd this improvement is due entirely to the diving reforms
whose beneficial results are now beginning to appear. Most
of the older divers are so heavily in debt that only death will
free them, but the youger men who started to dive shortly before
or after the diving reforms are no longer heavily in debt. iue;
frequently earn enogh to cancel their debts so that they can div
with whoever they wish to, and quite a large proportion owe only
fouB or five hundred Purees which under the present system they
should be able to ey Wt off in three or four yenrs.
The merchants dislike the freeing of the divers very mud
indeed end I am sure that very shortly determined efforts will
be made to revert to the old system. It is when the effects
of the refonss become apparent that the critical time oz ill
occur. A very harmful practice has crept in lately by which
Nakhudas evade the regulations. The merchants make edvances
of money and to their divers charging heavy interest on a
side account which is not checked by the diving clerks en. is
not entered in the divers books. The courts do not regard tfc
debts as binding the divers to dive but the men themslrts are
ignorant and many of them beleive that these side debts are a^
binding as the regular advances.
The time for the Sallaf, which is the advance before
season ocurred c t the end of t e year. After the usual