'The Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society. From January 1863 to December 1864. (Edited by the Secretary.) Volume XVII.' [‎66] (231/524)

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remarks on the tribes, &c.
109. Their settlements are mainly dependant for subsistence upon
the proceeds of their pearl divings. 1 hey possess little territory, and
perhaps even less real authority beyond their own immediate suburbs
and date groves ; the latter too are scant. As to the Pearl banks
these are held in common by the tribes, and thousands of boats collect
there during the diving season, fiom Apiil to September. The reve
nues of these banks are somewhat as below.* An English vessel
of war usually cruizes on the banks during the Diving season to keep
the peace ; but I have in a former letterf reported more in detail on
these banks and their present circumstances.
110. The Maritime Arabs trade also with Zanzibar and the Malabar
Coast ; Mangalore being their favourite port I hear on the latter. They
export dried fish, and import from Malabar rice and some teakwood,
and from Africa masts for their boats (for which a capital kind of
wood of great strength and pliability is found up the Pangany river, on
the hill-land of Tangaty, and I believe further Northward, in Usum-
barah), cloves, of which Zanzibar grows enough for the world’s
consumption, and rice, which was expelled the island of Zanzibar (to
the great improvement of its salubrity) to make room for cloves; but
which is still grown of good quality on the opposite African mainland.
It is worthy of remark however, that although rice may be grown to
a practically unlimited extent on portions of the Gulf districts, yet
that the Indian rice is imported and is preferred to all others : the
explanation seems to be, that Indian rice is lighter and swells more in the
boiling ; hence it is more filling at the price, and takes longer to digest:
a sufficiently nutritive substance being granted, the essentials of a poor
man’s food are, the greatest possible bulk at a minimum cost. Co’
coanuts are also brought to some extent from Zanzibar and Pembeb;
but the market for these—and there is a rapidly increasing one—is
towards Marseilles and Hambro. It is possible, indeed, that cocoanuts
may soon replace the clove plantations. At present the fruit leaves
Zanzibar in pulp dried. It is obvious however, that if circumstances
* Sheikh of Bahrein.
Sheikh of Ras-ul-khyma.
Sheikh of Debaye.
Sheikh of Amulgavine.
Sheikh of Aboothabee.
Sheikh of Ejmaun.
t No. 30, Political Department, of £
The gross yieldings are given in margin
of paragraph 115. They may be for Bah
rein itself 350,000 Dollars, and for the
other ports 400,000 Dollars.
February 1863.