9G CEYLON PEARL OYSTER REPORT. 



As a result of this valuation it was decided to hold a pearl-fishery in the spring of 

 1903 ; and it was announced in the Ceylon Government Gazette Extraordinary 

 No. 5896, of Decemher 22, 1902, that the fishery would take place at Marichchukaddi, 

 which is ahout 8 miles south of Chilavaturai, on or about 22nd February, 1903. 



The paars announced for fishing were : 



South-East Cheval Paar, with 49 million oysters sufficient for 120 boats for 40 days 

 East Cheval Paar, 11 28 40 



North-East Cheval Paar, ,, 13 32 40 



Periya Paar Kerrai, 8 20 40 



Making in all 8 1 millions of pearl oysters estimated as fishable. 



Mr. Hornell left Galle on January 27th and arrived off Marichchukaddi, the head- 

 quarters of the fishery, on January 31st, and in this neighbourhood he remained for 

 the next three months, leaving on April 23rd and arriving back at the Galle 

 Laboratory on 4th of May. 



The fishery did not commence until March 3rd and it ended on April 15th, having 

 lasted for 38 days and resulted in a revenue of Its. 830,151 93 c. Thirty-nine 

 millions of oysters are estimated to have been obtained from the eastern Cheval 

 paars, and an inspection made by Captain Legge at the conclusion resulted in the 

 estimate that 22 millions of adult oysters were still left on these paars alone. This 

 demonstrates one of the obvious imperfections of the method of fishing by means of 

 native divers. When the divers have made enough money, or are wearied of the work, 

 or find that the scattered condition of the oysters makes it more difficult to fill their 

 baskets, they can declare that the bank is exhausted and so cause a premature 

 stoppage of the fishery. Under such circumstances most of the oysters left at the 

 bottom might still be recovered by dredging. 



In addition to the paars fished, a number of the neighbouring smaller paars were 

 inspected, and Mr. Hornell was able, by means of the European diving suit which 

 was now available, to make a personal examination of the bottom and acquire a 

 fuller knowledge of the conditions than had before been possible. He made ahout 

 40 descents in all upon the Cheval, North and South Modragam, Periya Paar 

 Kerrai, Kondatchy, Aripu, Periya, Dutch Modragam, Naddakudda, Vankali, Anaivel- 

 unden, Karativo, Alentura and Muttuvaratu paars. On the larger paars several 

 descents were made, eleven upon the Cheval as the one deserving most attention. 

 One important result of this personal inspection of the bottom was to establish if 

 that was necessary the correctness of the conclusion we had arrived at during our 

 work on the " Lady Havelock," that the greater part of the bottom on the pearl- 

 banks is suitable for dredging, and that the oysters could be obtained from the paars 

 during a fishery much more effectively and speedily by dredging from one or more 

 small steamers than by diving. On the Muttuvaratu Paar Mr. Hornell reports 



