34 CEYLON PEARL OYSTER REPORT. 



colour. To this class belongs the Samadiem, which is nearly of the form of a pear, 

 and the Kallipoo, which has flat sides. The Koorwel, or third class, is a double pearl, 

 ill shaped, and of a dull water; to it may be added the Pesul, the most deformed of 

 all the pearls ; and the Tool, the most diminutive." 



From the above it will be seen that Coediner could get no definite information as 

 to the numbering of the ten sieves, viz., 20, 30, 50, 80, 100, 200, 400, 600, 800, and 

 1000. Sir William Twynam informs us that these numbers indicate that so many 

 pearls from such sieves stand to a " Kalanchu." We show here in fig. 7, A and B, 

 the impression, natural size, of the bottoms of the two extreme sieves of the series, 

 20 and 1000, kindly supplied to us by Sir W, Twynam. 



As regards sieA'e No. 1 (the 20 sieve, fig. 7, A), it is, of course, only the pearls which 

 just escape going through the sieve that can be taken into account in making the 

 estimate. Large pearls of more than ordinary value are regarded as exceptional, and 

 are not taken into account in valuing samples. It is said that the native merchants 

 judge the value of samples chiefly by what remains in the No. 4 (80 sieve). 



This account of the methods in use a hundred years ago applies perfectly at the 

 present day (as may be seen from the modern valuation form we print below, p. 38) 

 except for some slight changes in the spelling of the names. We give now a list of 

 the classes of pearls distinguished by the native valuers and merchants, with some 

 indication of the meaning of the name and any other information* we have as to the 

 kind of pearl. The list begins with the finest class of pearls and ends with the 

 poorest. In each case we give first the Tamil name written in English, according to 

 the Government spelling, then the literal meaning of the word, to which may be 

 added the more extended meanings in present usage, the size, shape and other 

 characters, followed by any peculiarity in use or native estimation. It will be 

 noticed that some of the terms, such as " Mel " and " Tul," indicate relative size, 

 while others, such as " Ani," apply to quality, or, such as " Kuruval " and " Kodai," 

 to shape and colour. 



" Mel " or " Mel-mitttu," meaning "upper," or superior pearl. This is a term of 



size, not of quality, and applies to pearls retained in the 20 to 80 sieves. 

 " Ani," meaning " best " ; excellent a fine, superior pearl both as regards quality 



and perfectly spherical shape, of the best lustre and colour, the true "orient" 



pearl. 

 "Anatari," meaning " follower " or "second"; a pearl closely approximating to 



the Ani, but with some slight departure from perfection, such as a speck or 



a flattening on one side. 

 " Kalippu," meaning " rejected," or inferior to Anatari ; a good pearl, more or less 



symmetric, may be lens-shaped or oblong, usually flattened. 



* We are indebted for some of this information to Sir William Twynam, of Jaffna, who has been most 

 kind in supplying us with details as to former fisheries and native methods, both during our expedition 

 in 1902 and also on occasions since. 



