HISTORY OF THE PRINCIPAL PEARL BANKS. 21 



Nov., 1860. Oysters 8 to 12 months old. 

 1861. No oysters on the south-east portion. On the- south and on the 

 northern edge, abundance of healthy oysters, 2 to 3 years old. On the 

 North Modragam, healthy oysters 5^ years old. 

 Mar., 1862. Oysters 3 to 4 years old, very healthy and abundant, covering 



1 square mile ; thickest on south part. Should be fishable in 1863. 

 Nov., 1862. Millions of oysters 2 to 2^ years old. 



1863. Oysters have totally disappeared. [Probably eaten by Rays.] 

 Mar., 1864. No young oysters. 

 1867. No oysters. 

 1868. To the west and south-west of the bank there is much weed covered 

 with young oysters. 

 Nov., 1868. No oysters. 



1869. 



Mar., 1870. 



1871. 



,, 1872. On South-east Modragam a small patch, 9 to 12 months old. 

 ,, 1873. Oysters have disappeared. 

 ,, 1875. Two beds of oysters, 2 years old, healthy and numerous on the north 



and south paars. 

 ,, 1876. The south bed almost disappeared and the north bed thinned. No 

 dead shells. 

 Nov., 1876.-200,000 oysters fishable in March, 1877. 

 Mar., 1877. North Modragam fished (yielded 4420 rupees). 

 Nov., 1879. No oysters. 

 Mar., 1883. 



,, 1885. Oysters plentiful, 18 months old; Rays feeding on them. 



1886. Two separate beds, 25,000,000 on north, 14,000,000 on south, oysters 

 2^ years old ; on the south bed mixed with some a year younger. 

 Apparently no loss from Rays yet. 

 ,, 1887. Serious loss of oysters ; north fished at once (yielded 103,664 rupees) ; 

 south contained too many young oysters mixed with the old. 

 Nov., 1887. Some oysters remaining. 

 Feb., 1888. 3,000,000 on north; 2,000,000 on south, mixed with some 1 year 



younger. Both banks fished, along with Cheval Paar. 

 Nov., 1888. Very few old ; no young. 



1889. None. 

 Mar., 1893. No oysters. 

 1899. 



,, 1900. Small patch of young oysters; 

 ,, 1901. Two insignificant patches. 



