The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-11-11
THE LEGENDS OF
ARABIA'S PEARLS
PEARL PARADISE SPREADING
ALL ALONG THE PERSIAN GULF
FOR SIX HUNDRED MILES.

Bahrein is the beautiful island which
gives it's name to little archipelago
| lying 20 miles off the Arabian coast,
brought into prominent note of late
through the stir about KJweit. This
last city is 300 miles north Of the Bah
rein isle, which lies in .he lap of that
bay formed by the juttlng out of the
great triangular projection called Ka-
tar. The pearl paradise spreads all
along the Arabian side of the Persian
gulf for 600 miles of the shore. The
ocean water is shallow for 30 miles
from the coast, and thus a magnificent
pearl-oyster bed is provided, in which
5000 boats all through the summer are
rowed about by their Arab crows. Bah
rein, properly so called, is an island so
miles long and 10 wide, lying directly
north by south. All the northern half
is exquisitely beautiful, for it is one
great garden of pomegranate, citron,
lemon and ounce trees, together with
magnificent date palms. In the very
center of the island is long cluster of
| hills 400 feet in height, known as Jebel
| Kokham monument of smoke).
Around this is a barren tableland. The
fertility and beauty of the northern
portions are easily accounted for Hun
Greds of copious, warm, fresh-wdter
.
The islets of Moharrek, Sitrah and
Nissan complete the group. These are
mere satellites of the larger members
Of the archipelago. The population of
the whole group numbers 10000, Of
whom about 10000 inhabit that town OF
mat-hut dwellings, Mehamah, which
constitutes the capital. 1t Is situated
on the northern apex of the main ISL
and. All Bahrein lives on pearls. No
subject possesses any mundane inter-
est for the islanders, but pearls, pearls,
pearls. The Arabs know nothing of the
scientific doctrine that the pearl has
its genesis in some abnormal develop
ment caused by disease of the BIZ
valve fish. The nation notion is much
more poetical If a raindrop during
the monsoons finds its way into the
opened mouth of an oyster 1t is sup
posed that gem 'of the purest ray Sc
rene" is formed the size of the resultant
pearl which is thus distilled being de-
pendest on the size of the drop. The
! idea is beautiful, for lit ascribes a
heavenly birth to the lovely product.
From June to October all is busy on
that western section of the Persian
gulf. No fewer than 10000 fishermen
and divers work the long, shallow
shores. A Bahrein boat is a singular
sight. 1t is a long, deep craft, holdIng
| from 20 to 40 men, of within about one
third will usually be divers, the rest
oarsmen. OF the latter one Is curiously
named Ell Mussully, or ''he who prays,"
on account of some of his peculiar
functions. He holds the diving ropes
IL another breaks off his duty to pray
or to eat.
The sailors and divers live away on
the water for three weeks at a time,
-
water hold out or can be renewed at
the nearest spot. They live chiefly on
rice, dates and fish caught daily and
cooked over a little charcoal stove,
generally by the lone who prays." The
diver Is the victim of a hard and cruel
fate. His costume is scanty indeed,
for he knows nothing of diving dresses
of the scientific kind. His apparatus
is a very simple outfit yet it is curl
GUS, for it is peculiar to his vocation.
Three objects only are included. The
first is the stone with which he is
weighted for the descent. This is fast
lened to a rope passing between his
rtoes He can generally remain under
the surface for about two minutes
when he must be promptly pulled up.
He is always half-dead, often bleeds
violently at the nose, and may be
brought up in a condition of uncon-
seriousness from which 1t is difficult to
restore him. Every season the pearls
need to be sought out in the gulf, and,
of course, the waters being deeper, the
peril is greater. Probably science will
sooner or later devise some dress and
apparatus which may obviate some OF
the fearful difficulties of this dread
calling.
The second item of the outfit is the
'htaam," or nostril-clasp, made OF
horn. Its purpose is to keep the wa
ter from entering the nose. The third
is the "khabaat," or finger-shield, a
long leather thimble, which protects
the fingers during the process of pick
ing up the shells. The pearl oysters are
left on deck all night, and are opened
in the morning with formidable knives
the "mihaket," of which the blade
measures six inches. The pearls vary
immensely in size, in color, in weight
and in luster. They are rising steadi-
ly in value, and American women es-
pecially are beginning to prefer them
to diamonds.-St. James Gazette.
ISLAND PACKETS.