REPORT ON THE PEARL OYSTER FISHERIES 

 OF THE GULP OE MANAAR -PART II. 



HISTORY OF THE PRINCIPAL PEARL 



BANKS. 



It has been shown in the Introduction to Part I. of this Report (p. 4) that the 

 thirty-six fisheries of the nineteenth century took place on nine paars only out of 

 the possible twenty-five to thirty, which is enough in itself to suggest that these 

 1 Links are of very different values economically. In the section describing the physical 

 features of the pearl banks of the Gulf of Manaar (Part I., p. 99), a classification of 

 the ground was made into : 



(1.) Those paars, such as the Jagerboom, Kallatidel, Aripu, and Anaivelundan, 

 which are at present practically worthless from an economic point of view. 



(2.) Some, such as the Periya Paar, which might be used as valuable sources of 

 supply of young brood oysters for transplantation, but cannot be relied upon 

 to yield a fishery. 



(3.) Those, such as the great Cheval Paar with its various sub-divisions, the 

 North and South Modragams, the Periya Paar Kerrai, and the Muttuvaratu 

 Paar, which are valuable and reliable grounds upon which most of the 

 successful fisheries of the past century have taken place. 



Other paars, such as those lying off Chilaw and Karativo, are less reliable, but may 

 he valuable on occasions : and it must be borne in mind that the whole area is possible 

 paar-ground which might at any time become productive, and consequently the 

 periodic inspections should never be limited to the better known regions. But, as 

 some account has already been given in Part I. of the leading physical and biological 

 features of all the paars, it will suffice now to direct attention to the past history, so 

 far as it can be ascertained, of those that are. really of economic importance especially 

 those whi<-h have yielded fisheries and are shown in the accompanying table. 



B 



