'Selections from the Records of the Bombay Government' [‎566] (610/733)

566
NAVIGATION OF THE
The population of the island varies, but, from the best information I
could obtain, with that of Muharag and Arad Famohay, amounts to
sixty thousand men, consisting of the following tribes : the Uttoobees of
Bahrein, the Shaikh's family ; the Abookara, A1 Zayed, A1 Salata, A1
Mahande, Mootsallema, Kaiser, Genahat, and some mixed tribes,
in all said to be eighteen or twenty thousand men capable of bearing
arms; the remainder, about forty or forty-five thousand, Bahreinees, are a
mixed breed between Arab and Persian, mostly cultivators, merchants,
and fishermen, who appear to possess more of the indolence and
cunning of the Persian than the frank and open boldness of the Arab.
The Arabs look with much contempt upon this class.
There are also in the Shaikh's pay about three hundred Siddees, and
about eight hundred of the Beni Khalid Tribe, There are also about one
hundred Banians, merchants and shop-keepers, at Munama. The
Mahomedan religion of the sect of Omar is that of the place, but a
large portion of the Bahreinees are Sheeas. The total number of men
under the Shaikh's government, he possessing the several places on the
coast already mentioned, amounts to about seventy thousand. The
pearl fishery alone employs nearly thirty thousand men, there being
under the Shaikh's government two thousand four hundred and thirty
pearl boats, each employing from eight to twenty men. Bahrein is also
a place of great trade, and has belonging to it twenty large boats,
Buggalows and Buteels, from three hundred and fifty to one hundred
and forty tons, mostly employed in the Indian trade ; and about one hun
dred from forty to one hundred and twenty tons, employed in the trade
of the Gulf. An account of the exports and imports will be found
attached.
The Shaikh, Abdoolla bin Ahmed, resides at Muharag, on the island
of that name, which is a large town, and contains about six thousand
inhabitants.
The principal town on Bahrein is Munama, and is the port of the
island, most of the merchants either residing, or having their karavan-
seria there. Most of the imports are landed here, and a duty of five
per cent, was in 1826 established on Indian produce, and most articles
from the Persian Coast, Bussora, and Muskat.
The other principal town on the island is Raffar, situated on a hill
seven miles distant, the residence of Shaikh Khaleefa, the nephew and
partner in the government of Abdoolla bin Ahmed. It consists of a
squaie fort or Ghuree, surrounded by habitations, chiefly occupied by
his followers. Numerous other small towns and villages are scattered
o\er the cultivated part of the island, but none of sufficient note to
require remark. On the eastern side of the island are the ruins of a
large town called Jow, formerly the residence of the Shaikhs, aban-