The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-06-02
The Pearl Fisheries OF the Persian Gulf.

Colonel Pelly has made a report to the Govern.
ment OF Bombay on the pearl fisheries of the
Persian Gulf. He says;-
'The pearl oyster beds extend at intervals
almost along the entire length OF the Arabian
coast OF the Gulf from little below the poIt of
Kowelt to the northward down to the neighbor-
hood of Ras.ool-Khalmah, southwark. There
are also some beds near Karrack and at other
points on the Persian coast line, but these latter
are of comparatively little account, as being far
less extensive, less prolific, ard less lucrative.
The beds along the Arabian coast are held to be
the property of the Arabs in common; for In
stance an Arab OF Howeit may dive along the
Bahrian or Rass.ool-Khamah coast, and Uice
UeTSd. But no person other than the coast
Arabs is considered TO have any right of diving;
and 1t is probable that any intrusion on the part
Of foreigners would create a general ferment
along the coast line The richest banks are
those OF the islands of Bahrein. They are found
at all depths from little below high water
mark down to three, seven. twelve, seventeen,
and eighteen fathoms. 1t is probable that there
are beds at a much greater depth; for instance,
if, as is supposed, it De the tact that there are
bees in the inlets OF the Musendom promontorY,
these beds must have depth of twenty-five or
twenty-five athoms.
at is held as a rule that the lustre of the
pearl depends on the depth OF the water-the
greater the depth the finer the lustre. There
does not seem to be any known law governing
the more or less perfect spheIcity OF the pearl.
The best oyster-beds are said to be level, and
formed of fine whitish sand overlying the coral
in clear water. A mixture of mud or earthly
substance with the sand is considered to be
detrimental to the pearl, and the beds having
this defect are liable to exhaustion. 1t is to this
cause that the Arabs of Bahren attribute the
exhaustion of the pearl beds on the coast Of
Sclnde and Ceylon, while The beds OF the Per-
sian Gulf. although annually hshed from the
earliest historic periods, continue prolific as
| ever-one or two OF the most recent past years
having given more than usually abundant
return.
thoEt tl,o A lac, cool 1,o;,,
| beds at particular seasons OF the year seems to
| be erroneous. No care whatever is taken of the
| beds. The oysters swell about over the sand or
| slightly attach themselves by the hinge to bits
| of seaweed or coral, and are discerned by the
divers from their boats in groups below the clear
| water. The diving period is from the warm
! spring in April to the end OF the hot summer
months OF August and September. There may
| be from four thousand TO five thousand fishing
boats along the entire coast, each boat contain
| ing from ten, twenty. to thilty.two men. OF the
above number OF boats some fifteen hundred
| may belong to Babrein. A few OF these boatmen
! labois, but the great majority are IN the hands
! OF agents Of pearl merchants, whether Hindoo
| or other who reside in the towns OF the littoTa
These agents make advances Of money to the
| divers during the non-dying season, and when
| the sprjpg comes on the boats are supplied with
| so many days dates, rice, and other provisions,
| and start away for the banks, returning as pro-
visions FAIL or weather compels. Hundreds of
| boats may be seen anchored at time ON the
banks.
GAS a rule, the diving may be in water of four
| to seven iathOms in depth. Fifteen iathoms q
diving ls considered extremely preiudcial to Ion
! gevity, and occasionally proves fatal. In any
J case, the crew is told off into divers and rope
holders, and the former diving while the latter
keep the boat and stand by to haul the diver up.
J Each diver hes his comrade for the purpose
1 The diver strips, closes his nostrs with horned
pincers, has a rope attached TO his girdle, and
| stone or other weight to his feet He then drops
! overheard feet foremost and, on reaching the
| bottom, collects his OYSTERS until he can no
longer remain below, when be pulls at the string,
lets go the stone weight, and is hauled on board
| by his ComTade. The stone weight is attached
| to a second rope, by which it is afterwards
hauled up. The oysters are collected into bag
or other receptacle attached to the divers chest
| and waist
The annual product of the pearl fisheries is
| assumed to be as follOws:-OutJurn Of the Bah
| rein pearl divers, twenty lacs of rupees, or
| f200,G0O; out-turn OF the divers from the Arab
| lttoral of the Persian Gulf other than Bahrein,
twenty lacs of rupees, eco 000 total &400 900.
| The great bulk Uf the best pearls is sent to the
| Bombay market, where, during the share mania,
| fancy prices were given for good pearls A
| large number of pearls are sent towards Ba ydad.
| As rule, the Bombay market prefers the pearl
| OF yellowish hue and perfect sphericity, while
the Bagdad market prefers the white pearl.
The small seed pearls go principally to Bagdad
! also.o