14 CEYLON PEARL OYSTER REPORT. 



the thinning out which this day's fishing entailed will have excellent results and 

 conduce to more rapid growth during the intervening 12 months. 



" Judging it time to abandon the south-west region, I moved the ship to the bed 

 upon the North-west Cheval on the 3rd April, laying out a series of red flag buoys 

 along the boundary and white flag buoys as fishing centres, as upon the South-west, 

 and accordingly the fleet began work there upon the following day. A break in the 

 hitherto excellent fishing weather unfortunately coincided, and from the 5th April 

 more or less unfavourable weather prevailed steadily and practically without inter- 

 mission, rendering fishing increasingly difficult. As a consequence the north-west bed 

 was not exploited in the thorough manner characteristic of the fishery on the south- 

 west section, and whereas 26,000,000 5-year-old oysters were taken from the latter 

 bed as against an estimate of 19,500,000, upon the north only 4,500,000 were fished 

 as against the estimate of 9,000,000. This less satisfactory result was, however, not 

 due entirely to rough weather ; many large patches were so thinly furnished with 

 oysters that 5, 7, and 10 oysters per dive were the best possible a condition of 

 matters ill-suiting men who had been accustomed for over a fortnight to averages of 

 25 and 35 per dive. 



" It became expedient therefore to open the last section the mid- west to fishing 

 on April 12th, and on that date the boats lifted 1,244,070 oysters from this bed. 

 From this date the wind increased greatly in force and, being accompanied by a 

 heavier swell, it became impossible to set definite limits to the ground to be fished 

 upon. The number of the boats at work began to diminish rapidly, and by April 1 6th 

 the fishery terminated, so far as the fleet as a whole was concerned. 



" From the 16th to the 18th April the weather was too boisterous to permit of any 

 fishing. On the latter date, some of the Arab divers being willing, it was arranged 

 that they should be sent out aboard the steamers ' Ready ' and ' Serendib ' to carry 

 on diving from these vessels. In all 44 responded to this emergency call, and 

 I superintended their work on April 19th, beginning fishing at 10.10 A.M. and 

 ceasing at 3 p.m. During the whole time the weather conditions were the worst 

 possible, a heavy sea running, accompanied by a chill, cutting wind. The men worked 

 most pluckily and with the utmost good humour. The majority did not touch food 

 all the time they were aboard, from 5.30 a.m. to nigh on 6 p.m. This day's work by 

 these 44 Arabs stirred up emulation in the breasts of their co-religionists, the 

 Kilakarai Moormen, and enabled the fishery to be carried on in spite of the boisterous 

 character of the weather for 4 days longer and with a gain to Government of 

 Rs. 15,580. 



" By this time the great majority of the diyers' boats had left Marichchukaddi, 

 and on the 23rd April it was seen to be impossible to attempt to further prolong the 

 fishery, which thus expired, after a nominal length of 33 fishing days ; on 7 days, 

 however less than 200,000 oysters fell to Government share, owing to the unfavour- 

 able nature of the weather on these days ; so under these circumstances the grand 



