fiORNELL MARINE RESOURCES 3 



eastwards of the northern sea margin of Okhamandal, has for a long period carried on a 

 small and primitive pearl fishery in the shallows on and around the rocky reefs that 

 stud the southern margin of the Gulf of Kutch. 



(6) Rumours of finds of pearl oysters and of pearls, by fishermen and others upon 

 the Okhamandal coast, had several times come to the knowledge of the authorities, who 

 had in consequence instituted search several times in the endeavour to ascertain the 

 real facts. 



Difficulties in obtaining divers, reliable as well as competent, were met with, and 

 no conclusive evidence had been obtained when Mr. Samarth and Mr. Pradhan took 

 up the investigations once more. 



No local divers are procurable in the Gulf of Kutch, the Jamnagar pearl fishery 

 and the Okhamandal chank fishery being carried on by the primitive method of wading 

 in the shallows, the fishermen taking advantage of the great fall of level that occurs 

 on the days of high spring tides. Accordingly, besides including dredges and 

 water-telescope in the apparatus taken, I also took with me, upon the suggestion of the 

 Baroda Government, three of the best of the divers who were then permanently 

 retained by the Ceylon Pearl Fishery Department for periodic inspection of the 

 pearl banks. 



I should add that I was also informed that chank-fishing is an historic minor 

 industry on the Okha coast, and that edible oysters are also found in several bays and 

 creeks. 



Dredging, diving, and shore collecting were carried on almost continuously from 

 9th December, 1905, to 13th January, 1906, during ten days whereof I had the great 

 pleasure and advantage of the advice, companionship, and hospitality of the Sar Subha, 

 Dewan Bahadur V. M. Samarth. I need not say that his countenance of my work 

 facilitated and expedited matters very greatly, and words fail me wherein to express 

 my appreciation of his personal kindness and his untiring zeal in ensuring that no 

 effort should be spared to help the investigation forward. In lonely and unfamiliar 

 circumstances it was indeed an unlooked-for delight, and one the more pleasant by being 

 unexpected, to meet one so widely read and deeply versed in the literature of both 

 East and West as Mr. Samarth. The evenings passed in discussion after the day's 

 work was completed, will remain as delightful memories of Dwarka and Beyt through 

 the rest of my life, and make the remembrance of this investigation a joy ever to 

 be recalled with pleasure. 



The performance of the Tamil divers, taken from Ceylon, was disappointing, and 

 had I not had the dredges to fall back upon the inquiry could not have been carried 

 through successfully. The cause of the unsatisfactory diving lay in the chilliness of 

 the December and January winds and the comparatively low temperature of the water. 

 We may console ourselves with the thought that divers of no other race available in 



India would have given better results. The same trouble would have been found had 



B 2 



