30 CEYLON PEARL OYSTER REPORT. 



" The oysters at present on the Muttuvaratu and the Dutch Modragatn paars 



should also he ready to fish in 1906, but I do not build confidently upon this ; even 

 now these oysters are extremely stunted and sickly looking, and are certain to decrease 

 very much before they are ripe for fishing. 



"Beyond 1906, or at latest 1907, there is likely to be a break in the fishery 

 sequence, a more or less prolonged blank* whereof the duration will be to some extent 

 dependent upon whether or not large measures of transplantation are resorted to, 

 seeing that there has been no fall of spat upon the Cheval, Modragam, or Muttuvaratu 

 paars within the last two years, that is to say, since June, 1902. The only other 

 hope lies in the possibility that a younger generation may be growing up on some of 

 the paars that have not been inspected of recent years. I therefore trust that I may 

 be given the opportunity to make exhaustive inspections during the next 2 years. 

 The more I learn at first hand about the banks aud the more I read of the old records, 

 the more convinced I am that limited and narrow-compassed inspections have been 

 the cause of the loss of many valuable fisheries. To give a concrete instance of the 

 essential need for thorough periodical examinations of the whole pearl-bank area, the 

 following extract from Captain Donnan's Report of the 1878 inspection furnishes 

 significant reading : 



" ' While inspecting the Cheval I discovered oysters on a new bank, 2| miles to the 

 westward of the Cheval, where it has generally been considered that there was 

 nothing but an extensive sandy flat. I saw it recorded in the diary of inspection 

 by Captain LAcrGHTON, in March. 1802, that he found oysters of 4 or 5 years in 

 abundance in 9 fathoms, rocky bottom, Kudiramalai bearing S.E. \ E. ; and being 

 anxious to test if rocky bottom really existed in that neighbourhood, I took all the 

 inspection boats in tow of the launch out to the veige of the bank of soundings, 

 and directed them to dive all the way back to the inspection vessel, so as to cross 

 the position noted by Captain Laughton, and they came upon rocky ground and 

 oysters, where they placed a buoy. On subsequent examination this bed of oysters 

 proved to be about 1^ miles in its longest direction N.N.W. and S.S.E., aud about 

 f mile broad at its broadest part, having a depth of water over it of from 8^ to 

 94; fathoms, and a sandy flat of 9 fathoms between it and the Cheval. I believe it 

 to be an extension of the Periya Paar in a S.E. direction. I have duly recorded 

 its position in my diary. The superficial area of the bed is 3,845,935 yards, and 

 the oysters on it average 22 to a dive. I estimate the total number of oysters on 

 it at 3,500,000, sufficient to give 10 days' fishing for 50 boats with loads of 

 7000 oysters each. I found, however, 13 per cent, of dead shells, which is an 

 unfavourable sign, and a large quantity of seaweed growing on the oysters. I have 

 been much puzzled about the age of these oysters, as they appear to be old, although 

 of small size. I believe them to be of the description known to the natives as 



* The position of affairs is now altered by a great fall of spat on the Cheval Paar (see below, p. 37). 



