'Koweit: A Report' [‎51r] (110/140)

*9
the town had been increased by an influx of out-lying tribes
taking refuge in Koweit, at the approach of Ibn Rashid; in this
case* perhaps, the exaggeration may not be quite as great as it
would appear at first sight. I he apparent over-estimate of
“fighting men ' has been pointed out elsewhere ; if this item
be reduced to the numbers mentioned in another estimate, also
furnished by the Sheikh, vis^ to between 6,000 and 7,000 men,
with a roughly proportionate deduction from the numbers of
women and children, the total number of inhabitants would
seem to work out to between 30,000 and 40,000, the former of
which is the number usually considered to be approximately
correct.
The population is Mahommedan, Arab fashion, that is
tolerant to others and not over rigid to themselves. Wahabi-ism
is proscribed, and all the efforts of Nejd have never succeeded in
making one single proselyte at Koweit.
Nothinggrow r s near Koweit, save grass and camel-grazing;
the agricultural resources may therefore be considered “nil”.
The wealth of the place proceeds from its trade, shipping, ship
building, fishing, pearl fishery, and to a small extent, cattle
breeding.
Some 600 boats, with crews averaging from 15 to 40 men
each, are engaged in pearl fishing. Each of these boats realises
a profit of from Rs. 300 to Rs. 600 in a season. The size of these
boats varies from 30 to 300 tons burden, while some of as much
as 1,000 tons are engaged in trade with India and Mesopotamia.
A line of sand hills and somewhat broken ground, about a
mile outside the town, affords a fairly satisfactory line of defence
and might be made strong enough to resist any probable attack
by suitable preparation. The line proposed extends in an arc,
enclosing the town on the land side, with both flanks resting on
the sea, and capable of being supported by naval fire, though
at a somewhat long range, i.e.> up to 4,000 and 5,000 yards.
Certain conspicuous points, shown on the chart, facilitate the
direction and ranging of ship’s fire from the stations indicated
by the names of the ships told off to these positions in 1901-
02, viz. :—H.M.S. Sphinx, H M S. Pomone and H.M.S.
Redbreast. In addition to this strictly naval support, native
dhows if armed with machine guns, would be useful in shoal
water on either flank, and would be able to bring fire to bear at
a much shorter range than those mentioned with reference to
H. M.’s ships.
Starting from the right, or western, flank of this defensive
line, it runs {a) along certain existing excavations and old wells,
for a distance of about 1,500 yards, ( 5 ) thence in a north
easterly direction along the outer edge of a strip of broken
ground, broken apparently by what seem to be disused lime
Defencei.