The Hawaiian gazette., 1879-10-15
WAIIAN GAZETTE
EDITED AND PUBLISHED BY
7. CRAWFORD MACDOWELL.
WEDNESDAY. OCT Is. 1877.
Fishers of Pearl.
An Interesting Industry of the Persian Gul f.

An Interesting Industry of the Persian Gul
An English paper; The early history of the
pearl fisheries in the Gulf of Oman is lost 10 the
mists OF an almost prehistoric period, when the
beauties OF Ninevah and Babylon used to deck
their hair with the produce of these still prolific
shoals. Pliny distinctly alludes to the pearls
procured thence as the most highly valued. 1t
lie difficult to arrive at an approximately correct
estimate of the amount and value of the annual
yield Of pearls nowadays, for those engaged in the
trade have an interest in concealing the extent
of their profits. and with an article of so little
bulk this is easy of accomplishment. The re-
turns of exports of pearls from the Persian Gulf
and Muscat are thus OF small independent value,
and require 10 be checked from other sources of
information. Col. E. G. Ross, our resident in
the Persian Gulf has recently pointed out that,
comparing the returns Of exports from that gulf
10 India with the imports recorded at the CAL
cutta, Bombay. and Karachi Custom Houses, if
for treasure" be read pearls" the totals cores
pond very nearly, and that. as it is known that
specie has been available for export to India
during the last few years. this conjecture may be
not amiss. This would fix the value OF the trade
at e6OOO0O approximately.
Captain L. l.. Durand, first assistant political
resident, Persian Gulf. has recently prepared an
interesting paper on the subject of these pearl
fisheries, FROM which it appears that they are
regularly worked by the maritime tribes OF Ears
and Oman, and afford susteDance TO about thirty
FIVE thousand families, who are thus reclaimed
from piracy and plumber. The British protecto-
rate, which extends over the gulf, insures the
peaceful prosecution of this industry piracy is
abolished, and inter tribal difficulties are referred
to the Resident, whose decision is final. Two
taxes called mob" and ftraz" are however
levied by the maritime sheikhs and though the
amount realized thereby is uncertain. there is
good ground for supposing it is considerable.
The trade s really in the hsnds of the Indian
bunDias-traders who are found fourshing far
beyond the confines of British India, but gener-
ally where our national flag affords them security
in their dealings. The tunnIs makes pecunary
advances to the nSkboda or head mau of the
boat by supplying him with every necessity of
clothes, food, tobacco for the trip; and these
supplies go down 10 the bunnia's ledger at his
own valuation. On his return the head man
hands over his packet of pearls to be valued IN
the gross, aud the bunnia takes them at dis
count OF 20 per cent, often paying for as much Of
lhe balance as he can in goods ard stores, over
which be makes from 20 to 80 per cent. profit
Altogether the arrangements are favorable for
the accumulation of much wealth by these can
n.y. trnders. The crew consists CT the nakhoda
or master. who often owns the boat himself; the
sebs or haulers, who are usually BedouiDs, but
sometimes Persians and whose duty is to work
the ship handle oars and sail, and pull up the
divers; aud the "ghoas," or divers, who are gen
orally Sedees. or poor Arabs, or Sedee slaves.
The ghoas will go on diving all day if the weather
be fair, merely taking short ess in the water to
recover breath and strength As rule, they do
not remain below longer than fifty to seventy
seconds. These men are very abstemious. They
eat about half pound of dates in the morning
and drink three or four cups of coffee after morn
ing prayers, and they begin fishing at sunrise
About two o'clock they all come out of the water
Tor Coffee prayers and a siesta, which lasts Tor
about an hour. when they go to work again till
shutdown. AT night they eat a hearty meal Of
roast hsh and dates, and strike work for the day.
From eight to twelve fathoms is the usual depth
at which work is carried on, though good diver
has been known to go down as deep as sixteen
fathoms-a depth, however, which is insuppoIt-
able to most men. The divers equipment is
weight for the feet, pair of horn piucers for his
nostrils rope round bis waist, and leather tips
to his fingers to save them from abrasion. When
devi-hsh are more than usually prevalent in the
vicinity, the diver puts on long, white shirt, as
a protection against their burning embraces
Accidents from sharks or dog-fsh are said to be
unknown. As rule, however numerous the
shells may be, man cannot gather more than
fifteen or sixteen per dive. The incessant plung-
ing entails sundry diseases such as madness,
cramps, paralysis and softening of the skin, be-
sides minor ailments.
There are three fishing seasons-in the Spring,
Summer and Winter, during which last-men-
toned period only wading in shadows is attempt
ed. The pearl oyster is found in all the waters
of the gulf, but the best beds lie on the Arab
side, between the Oath and 9th degrees of north
latitude and 50th and 55th degrees east long-
tude between Shiltaye and Sirbeui Vas Island,
at distance OF from one to ninety miles from
the shore. But the deep-sea bands are not much
hshed till the "Schema," or norwesters of June
(Which are peculiarly sudden, severe, aud of GER
tain yearly recurrence), have spent their force.
1t has been asserted that the yield of these
fisheries is decreasing but Captain Duraud is
inclined to dscredit the statement. The divers
are too wish, be remarks, to kill the goose with
the golden eggs they often say !: THAT will do
for another year" when they come upon small
lot OF shells. The pearl oysters are divided into
three classes called "zinni,' "sudaiiee" and "ma-
har," respectively OF these the mahar contains
the best pearls, and is found in deeper water than
the others. The sudifee does not produce such
white or heavy pearl, but one that is said to
improve by keeping while the zinni is said to
be lighter and to be liable to change in color
There are three coors found-namely, white
red and blue. Every year many small pearls
turn up, ranging in value from two rupees up
wards; and in these smaller pearls considerable
trade is done, one order (cted by way of exam
ple) being for small pearls to the value of f437
for sewing on the horse-trappings of Persian
noble. The usual mode of disposal is by packets
but should the merchant pick and choose, be
must be content to pay fancy price. The value
of the annual export of pearls from the gulf, is,
as we have said, most difficult to determine; but
Colonel Ross puts it about e6OO,O00 and Captain
Durand at E790000.
REPRESENTATION of Metals.