[ 37 ] 



THE PRESENT CONDITION OF THE PEARL 



BANKS. 



[Based on Mr. Hornell's Inspection in November, 1904-] 



Mr. Hornell left Colombo for the Pearl Banks on October 25th, 1904, with the 

 inspection barque " Rangasami Puravi " and the dredging steamer "Violet" a 

 trawler recently acquired by the Government for pearl-fishery purposes. I have 

 received a detailed MS. report from him which has furnished the quotations and facts 

 that form the basis of the present section. 



"The actual examination of the banks was begun on the morning of October 29th 

 and lasted with but one day's partial interruption, caused by heavy rain squalls, until 

 November 17th, when I brought the inspection to a close and went ashore [at 

 Marichchukaddi] to superintend the washing of the samples obtained." 



This last inspection of the Cheval, Modragam, Periya and Muttuvaratu paars was 

 evidently unusually extensive and thorough for a November inspection, and 

 examination of the valuation records since the year 1854 shows that the number of 

 oysters (87,500) lifted by the divers was by far the largest ever collected. 



The size of these samples affords a better opportunity than usual of ascertaining the 

 true average value of the oysters upon the different banks. 



The result of the inspection is briefly as follows (see also Table opposite, p. 36) : 



1. Mature oysters, aged from 2f to 5|- years, were found in quantity upon the 

 North and South Modragam and Muttuvaratu paars, and upon the South, South- 

 east, South-central and Mid-east sections of the Cheval Paar, together with a small 

 and thinly covered patch remaining from last year's fishery (1904) upon the South- 

 west Cheval. 



2. Very young oysters, aged from 1| to 2| months at the beginning of November, 

 cover the whole area of the Cheval excepting the South-west, South and South-east 

 sections, and are also found equally abundant on the Periya Paar and the South 

 Modragam Paar. If we estimate their age from the average size it is evident that a 

 fall of spat covering an immense extent of ground and quite unusual in numbers 

 must have occurred between the middle of August and the middle of September. 

 This is a most important occurrence which, though hoped for, was not expected and 

 could not have been foreseen. It greatly improves the fishery prospects for some 

 years to come and diminishes the need for any immediate transplantation from the 

 Periya to the Cheval Paar. 



