32 MADRAS FISHERIES BULLETIN [VOL. XVI, 



"holes of varying sizes, that which had the largest holes being the 

 " topmost colander, and that which had the smallest being the 

 " undermost. When dropped into colander No. I, all but the very 

 " finest pearls fell through into No. 2, and most of them passed 

 " into Nos. 3, 4 and 5 ; whilst the smallest of all, the seeds were 

 " strained off into the receptacle at the bottom. When all had 

 " staid in their proper colanders, they were classified and valued 

 "accordingly. The largest, or those of the first class, were the 

 " most valuable, and it is expressly stated in the letter from which 

 "this information is extracted that the value of any given pearl 

 " was appraised almost exclusively with reference to its size, and 

 " was held to be affected but little by its shape and lustre. The 

 "valuation over, the Dutch generally bought the finest pearls. 

 "They considered that they had a right of pre-emption. At 

 "the same time they did not compel individuals to sell, if un- 

 " willing. All the pearls taken on the first clay belonged by 

 " express reservation to the King or to the Setupati according as 

 " the place of their taking lay off the coasts of the one or the other. 

 "The Dutch did not, as was often asserted, claim the pearls taken 

 "on the second day. They had other and more certain modes of 

 " making profit, of which the very best was to bring plenty of cash 

 " into a market where cash was not very plentiful, and so enable 

 " themselves to purchase at very easy prices. The amount of 

 " oysters found in different years varied infinitely. Some years 

 " the divers had only to pick up as fast as they were able, and as 

 "long as they could keep under water; in others they could only 

 " find a few here and there. In 1700 the testing was most encour- 

 " aging, and an unusually large number of boat-owners took out 

 " licences to fish ; but the season proved most disastrous. Only a 

 " few thousands were taken on the first day by all the divers 

 " together, and a day or two afterwards not a single oyster could 

 " be found. It was supposed by many that strong under-currents 

 " had suddenly set in owing to some unknown cause. Whatever 

 " the cause the results of the failure were most ruinous. Several 

 " merchants had advanced large sums of money to the boat-owners 

 " on speculation, which were, of course, lost. The boat-owners 

 " had in like manner advanced money to the divers and others, and 

 " they also lost their money." * 



* Thurston, E. : " Pearl and Chank Fisheries of the C,u!f of Mana:ir." Madras Muslim 

 Bulletin No. I, page 9, Madras, 1894. 



