THE PEAKL FISHERY OF 1904. 13 



Lubbais, drafted largely from Kilakarai and the neighbouring villages on the Madura 

 Coast of the same Presidency ; Malayalam men, from the southern portion of the 

 Malabar Coast (Travancore principally), and lastly a compact body of some 250 

 so-called Arabs from Colombo and Jaffna. The first two groups comprised the bulk 

 of the diving community (including both divers and munducks), accounting for 1989 

 and 3732 respectively out of a total of 7408 who attended at last year's fishery 

 (vide ' Report on Fishery of 1903,' by Mr. R. W. Ievers, C.M.G.)." 



Most extravagant statements are current in regard to the time a diver can remain 

 under water. The Arabs are far ahead of all the others in endurance, their time 

 under water being generally from 70 to 85 seconds. The Tamil and other divers have 

 a lower average, varying from 35 to 50 seconds. The maximum for the best divers, 

 in our experience, is not over 90 seconds. The diving goes on from daybreak 

 (about 6 a.m.) to noon, and the divers' boats set sail for the banks soon after midnight, 

 taking advantage of the land wind which then blows off shore, so as to be readv to 

 start work with the light. 



" On the 15th March, twelve Colombo and Jaffna boats, manned entirely with 

 Arab divers, had taken up positions by daybreak around the barque. As is the habit 

 of Arabs, these men fished quietly and methodically, and with great energy. By 

 noon they were tired and satisfied with their catch, an average of 22,811 oysters per 

 boat, and, hoisting sail, made for the camp. The next day a number of Tamil and 

 Moorish divers appeared, and on the 5th day of the fishery the number of boats 

 actually at work had increased to 148, while for several days in the height of the 

 fishery just over 200 boats (202) were employed. 



' The boats used by the divers at this fishery were of at least five distinct types 

 narrow single-masted canoes, with an outrigger, from Kilakarai on the Madura Coast ; 

 larger 3-masted canoes, from the Tanjore Coast ; large ' Dhoneys,' from Jaftha and 

 the north of Ceylon ; large sailing lighters, from Tuticorin ; and ' luggers,' with 

 square sterns, from Paumban. Some of the large boats accommodated as many as 

 30 divers, and with the ' munducks ' (the men who attend to the divers' ropes) and 

 crew must have had about 65 men on board. 



" Fishing on the South-west Cheval went on methodically and in a perfectly 

 satisfactory manner for 17 days, by which time the bank proper was practically 

 cleared of oysters. On the 18th day of the fishery the fleet, instead of settling down 

 to glean over the fished ground, flocked to a patch of mixed oysters on the north-east 

 corner of the south-west section, and as a heavy swell was rolling in from the south- 

 west I did not judge it advisable to attempt to move them away. This day's catch 

 of oysters proved phenomenal, totalling close upon 4,000,000 (3,919,712), of which 

 the Government share, 2,609,445, sold for Rs. 39,058.79, being at an average rate of 

 nearly Rs. 15 per 1,000. The oysters on this patch lay extremely thickly strewn in 

 bunches upon a sandy bottom ; I had not included them in my estimate of the south- 

 west bed, considering it preferable to leave them for next year's fishery. However, 



