NARRATIVE. 



'.17 



that three dives showed a dredgable bottom, while the fourth dive was on a spot where 

 the dredge could not be worked as the " rock rose from the bottom in great plateau- 

 like ledges." A similar condition was found at one spot on the Dutch Modragam 

 Paar, but otherwise the bottom all over the productive paars is perfectly suitable for 

 dredging. The Cheval paars and the North and South Modragams present ideal 

 bottoms for dredging, or even for working a small trawl upon, being level and 

 consisting mainly of a thin layer of sand covering a firmer substratum of the cemented 

 material known as " rock." I shall return to this matter of dredging for the pearl 

 oysters, in place of diving, in my Recommendations at the end of the Report. 



During this period Mr. Hornell also examined large numbers of pearl oysters of 

 various ages and from different paars and so was able to confirm and extend our 

 previous observations. He was esj:>ecially successful in obtaining stages in the 

 formation of pearls, and in the life-history of the pearl-causing parasites. The details 

 obtained during this three months' work on the pearl-banks have been incorporated 

 with our other investigations (l) on the condition of the ground (see p. 99); and 

 (2) on the parasites and pearl-formation, in the parts that follow. 



For some weeks after this Mr. Hornell was engaged at Galle in completing his 

 notes and records of observations and in packing off to me the specimens which had 

 to be examined in Liverpool, and so finished his work as my Assistant in this 

 investigation. If he is enabled to continue his observations as a Marine Biologist at 

 the Galle Laboratory, judging from the industry, energy and ability he displayed 

 during the time we were associated in work, I can confidently predict that he will 

 render signal service to the pearl, sponge, trepang and other marine fisheries of the 

 colony. 



The inspection barque " Rangasameepor 



'a wee. 



O 



