THE GEEAT PEARL FISHERY OF 1905. 



[xi] 



Mr. Hornell estimates that about forty-one and a half millions of adult oysters 

 are left on the banks. It is to be feared that a considerable number of these will die 

 off during the year, but a solid bed of 10,000,000 remains on the South-east Cheval, 

 and will probably be available for fishing next spring. There may be other patches 

 on other parts of the Cheval still remaining in sufficient numbers to be worth fishing, 

 and there ought to be a good many left on the South Modragam and the Kutiramalai 

 paars, but these are said to be largely overgrown with a younger generation, and it is 

 quite doubtful whether a sufficient number of the old will survive to yield a fishery 

 in 1906 on these banks. 



I now come to a question connected with the large number of oysters recorded in 

 Mr. Lewis's report as fished from the South Modragam Paar, upon which I wish 

 to make some observations. I shall quote first a couple of passages I find in 

 Mr. Hornell's report (p. 38) in regard to the finding and fishing of these oysters : 



" 34. On 22nd February a considerable number of boats fished on the ground to the 

 south of that portion of the South Modragam inspected earlier in the month. The 

 whole of this area is composed of purely sandy bottom, whereon lay oysters free from 

 commingling with any of a younger generation ; all were a little over three years 

 old. In some places they lay in loose bunches ranging from five to twelve individuals 

 in each ; elsewhere the oysters clung to the projecting edges of large wedge-shaped 

 shells of Pinna bicolor, rooted upright in the sand by the narrow end. The former 

 condition delighted the hearts of the divers ; the latter gave those ui^rovided with 

 protecting finger-stalls considerable trouble, the sharp edges of the Pinna shells 

 inflicting frequent cuts and scratches on the hands tearing them from their sandy 

 foothold. In both cases the divers filled their bags with remarkable celerity, 

 40 seconds in many cases sufficing to fill the diver's bag with 60, 70, or even 100 

 oysters. As a result, the day's catch, aggregating the enormous total of 4,574,460 

 oysters, broke every known record." 



"35. Work, on this sandy area, continued with feverish activity for the remainder 

 of the week. The daily catches never fell below 4,000,000 per day, while on 24th 

 February high-water mark was reached with the enormous take of 5,005,685 oysters. 



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