10 MADRAS FISHERIES BULLETIN [VOL. XVI, 



and Pinnakayal (Pinnacoil), or Punnaikayal,* by the Moor and 

 Parava inhabitants respectively of Kayal took place in early 

 Portuguese times as will be noted further on. 



When the Portuguese rounded Cape Comorin they found the 

 pearl fisheries of the Gulf of Mannar in the hands of the caste of 

 shore-dwelling people, fishermen and divers, already alluded to as 

 Paravas whom tradition shows to have had control of this industry 

 from time immemorial. Of the origin of these people we know 

 extremely little. We know, however, that in the old days, from 

 600 B.C. and for 1,500 ye?rs or more thereafter, the country now 

 comprehended in the districts of Madura and Tinnevelly, formed the 

 great Tamil Kingdom of Pandya, and in the old Tamil work called 

 the Kalveddu the position of the pearl-fishing caste to this monarchy 

 is incidentally mentioned in the following extract : — 



" Vidanarayanen Cheddi and the Paravu men who fished 

 " pearls by paying tribute to Alliyarasani, daughter of Pandya, 

 " King of Madura, who went on a voyage, experienced bad weather 

 " in the sea, and were driven to the shores of Lanka, where they 

 " founded Karainerkai (Karativo) and Kutiraimalai. Vidanarayanen 

 " Cheddi had the treasures of his ship stored there by the Parawas, 

 "and established pearl fisheries at Kadalihilapam (Chilavaturai) 

 " and Kallachihilapam (Chilaw) and introduced the trees which 

 " change iron into gold," etc , etc. (Herdman, " Report on the 

 pearl oyster fisheries of the Gulf of Manaar," volume I, page 2.) 



In the Maturaik-kanchi they are described as being most 

 powerful in the country round Korkai. "well-fed on fish and flesh 

 and armed with bows, their hordes terrified their enemies by their 

 dashing valour. f v It is very probable that they were of Naga origin 

 and of the same race as the inhabitants of Ceylon at the time of 

 the Vijayan conquest of that island. 



* Caldwell (History of Tinnevelly, page 72) derives Pinnakayal from punnai, the 

 Indian laurel and kayal, a lagoon opening into the sea. This 1 consider most improbable, 

 for this village is all but destitute of vegetation ; even mangroves: refuse to grow there. It 

 is much more likely that the name has direct reference to the relationship of the place to 

 its parent town, Kayal, the Cail of Marco Polo. The latter is known locally at the preseni 

 time as Palaya Kayal (Old Kayal) and not simply as Kayal ; this infers a daughter 

 settlement somewhere, and hence I believe that Pinna Kayal means simply " New 

 Kayal." De Sa e Mene/es (vide footnote, page 27) actually calls this place Puticale, 

 which is the exact Tamil equivalent of " New Kayal" (l'udu Kayal), and the Dutch 

 sometimes used the form Pondecayl or Pondecail (see pages 170 and 171) having the 

 same derivation — c.f. Pondicherry=Puducheri. 



f Kanakasabhai, lor. cii., page 44. 



