"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الجزء II. ج. ج. لوريمر. ١٩١٥" [‎٢‎٢‎٢‎٠] (١٢٦٢/٧٣٧)

2220
AVPEND1X
THE PEARL AND MOTHER-OF-PEARL FISHERIES OF
THE PERSIAN GULF.*
Pearl fishing is the premier industry of the Persian Gulf; it is,
besides being* the occupation most peculiar to that region^ the principal or
only source of wealth among* the residents of the Arabian side. Were
the supply of pearls to fail, the trade of Kuwait would be severely
crippled, while that of Bahrain might—it is estimated—be reduced
to about one-lifth of its present dimensions and the ports of Trucial
^Omau, which have no other resources, would practically cease to exist;
in other words, the purchasing power of the inhabitants of the eastern
coast of Arabia depends very largely upon the pearl fisheries. Annexure
No. 3 to this Appendix shows that the number of boats employed in the
industry is now about 4,500, and that the number of operatives person
ally engaged in pearling is over 74,000; moreover, in estimating the
importance of the fisheries as a means of livelihood, the families of the
operatives must be borne in mind, as well as the numerous capitalists;
large and small, with their dependents, whose funds are invested in the
industry. Annexures Nos. 1 and 2 supply further proof of the magnitude
of the interests involved, for the value of the pearls exported from the
Gulf, estimated in 1833 at ^300,000 and in 1866 at £400,000, was in
1905-06 (at the lowest computation) £1,434,399 ; and to this figure must
be added the value of the mother-of-pearl exported, which in earlier
times was little or nothing, but in 1903-04 amounted to £30,439.
The pearl fisheries have a political as well as a commercial aspect,
and to that aspect we shall return after first considering the industry m
a general light.
* Ihe older aufchorities are an article by Colonel D. Wilson in the J. & G. S.
Vol. IH; an article by Colonel L. Pelly in the Tr. Bo. G. S., Vol. SVIII; an article
by Captain E. L. Durand in the Persian Gulf Administration Report for 1877-78;
an article m the same for 1885-86 by Colonel E. Mockler ; and the Persian Mf
Pilot, 1898. Colonel Mockler was the first to cope successfully with the technicalities
of the pear trade. Statistics will be found in the annual Administration and
Commercial Reports of the Persian Gulf Residency. The present article is fonnded
P^'tly on the preceding, but also to a large extent on reports made in 1905, 19^ an
1907, by captain F. B. Prideaux, Political Agent in Bahrain, and by h ; 3 assign
Mr. In am-al-Haqq, who rendered invaluable service ; by Captain S. G. Knox, Politioa
Agent at Kuwait; by Mr. J. C. Gaskin, Political Assistant, and by the
Residency Agents at Sharjah and Lingeh. The acknowledgments of the ««
also due to Dr. N. Annandale of the Indian Museum, Calcutta. Interesting K®
w a a i e C f t "PO" the Bnb j e «t of the Persian Gale pearl fisheries by fto fe » !0 '
mim an B Zeport on the Pearl Gulf