"تقارير إدارية ١٩٢٠-١٩٢٤" [و‎‎١‎٢‎٢] (٤١٢/٢٤٨)

PERSIAN GULF POLITICAL RESIDENCY, 1023.
57
frequently taken out in small fishing boats, and trans-shipped into larger
vessels at sea. They are also taken in lesser numbers to'Iraq by land ; this
however, is more difficult, as the town is surrounded by a wall on the 'land
side in which there are only three gates, and the Shaikh has prohibited the ex
port of arms except by licence. An interesting method of concealing rifles on
a boat was detected^ in March; two rifles had been lashed to the farman, or
yard, with a lap of sail round them, and hauled to the top of ^ the mast. On
this occasion, as in the case of a consignment of eight rifles and some ammu
nition which were seized while being smuggled from the town in a small
fishing boat in October, the Shaikh confiscated the boat as well as the arms,
and imprisoned the crew. In August twelve rifles and over two thousand four
hundred rounds of ammunition were discovered in a Kuwait boat at Bah
rain and confiscated by the local authorities. On his return to Kuwait the
nahhuda was at once arrested by the Shaikh, who awarded him a most drastic
punishment for contravening his regulations. In the latter half of Septem
ber a Dhafiri was arrested near Jahral with two rifles which he was bringing
from Kuwait. The Shaikh imprisoned him, but subsequently released "him
and restored the rifles at the written request of Shaikh Hamud as-Suwait. He
wrote to Shaikh Hamud that he was only doing so as a special case, and would
not do so in future, as he had absolutely prohibited the export of arms except
on licence. He added that he would only grant such a licence to his tribes
men on a written request from him, and with the previous approval of Govern
ment. The Shaikh informed the Political Agent of what he had done, and
asked him to tell the Divisional Adviser, Basrah, and request him also to warn
the Dhafir.
On the 80th October the Shaikh captured and confiscated eight rifles
which were being smuggled into 'Iraq by the land route. The gun runners
had left Jahrah before he received information about them, but he at once
ordered a pursuit. Unfortunately th^re were only two horsemen available at
Jahrah at the time, and they did not like the idea of closing with the party
when they sighted it, but contented themselves with opening rapid fire in the
air to give the impression that there were more of them. Their ruse was
successful, as the gun runners abandoned the rifles and made off. The rifles
had been stripped and made up in a bundle. It afterwards transpired that
these rifles were being taken to Khamisiyah.
Murder.
On the 22nd March a locally born British subject of Indian origin mur
dered his wife by shooting her with a rifle. The man escaped to Basrah, but
returned to Kuwait on the 24th April and was arrested by the Shaikh. On
the matter being referred, it was decided that the case should be dealt with
by the Shaikk in consultation with the Political Agent. The man was un
questionably guilty and made no attempt to deny the charge. The Shaikh
found the accused guilty of wilful murder, but, after some delay, merely sen
tenced him to five years' imprisonment. The Shaikh's action was most sur
prising, in view of the fact that he had all along appeared to consider that the
man ought to be condemned to death if found guilty as a warning to others.
Political Detenus.
Shaikhs Mahmad and Gharib of Sulaimaniyah arrived from Bombay on
the 27th January, on release'from prison in India, and remained in Kuwait as
Political detenus till the 10th September when they were .repatriated.
Pearl Fishery.
The Kuwait pearling fleet was an extremely small one, only 226 boats
visiting the banks. The season opened badly as regards the catch, but improv
ed later, and was considerably better on the whole than that of the two pre
vious years. The market for pearls was also better.
Water Plant.
Work continued on the Water Distillation Plant supplied by Messrs.
Strick, Scott & Co., Limited, Muhammarah, throughout the year, but it has
xi-30 o