140 MADRAS FISHERIES BULLETIN [VOL. XVI> 



were found. Divers report that the undertow was very heavy and 

 that they had much difficulty in keeping on their feet. Large 

 quantity of weed on this bank," but no examination was made 

 in 1900, 1901 or 1902 ! 



Mr. Sullivan Thomas remarked the same discrepancies in the 

 inspection records.* He says : — 



" Looking for instances of oysters that have been obviously 

 ''missed, we find that in 1869, banks 15 and 16 contained oysters 

 " ' 2Y2 and 3 years old in December, where a blank was recorded in 

 " March of the same year. Again, in March of the same year, bank 

 " 49 held ' many oysters of I, 2 and 3 years of age, ' which for want 

 "of inspection had not been found before. In April 1878, banks 44 

 " and 45 ' were thickly covered with oysters of one year age, ' and in 

 " May of the following year the record is ' blank '. If they had not 

 "migrated and been missed, we might perhaps have found some 

 '' traces of at least a few dead shells. In 1882, we find ' dead shells ' 

 "of we know not what age on bank 20, which the previous year 

 "was 'blank.' 



"Banks 15, 16, 17 might seemingly have been fished in 1870, 

 " but they were not inspected. Perhaps Captain Phipps was away ; 

 "perhaps the necessity for inspection was lost sight of for want of 

 " statement B. " 



I may add that long weeks before I made my investigation 

 and before I had acquaintance with the facts above related, 

 my most intelligent coxswain, a Tuticorin man himself, in reply to 

 my inquiry if he had any theory why oysters came to maturity 

 so seldom on the Indian banks, said " oysters often come, inspection 

 not good, not wide enough." He remarked that he and his people 

 often said among themselves that if the Indian inspection was 

 carried out in the thorough manner it is on the Ceylon side 

 there would be more frequent fisheries. As he said, long ago 

 fisheries were very good off Tuticorin and Kayalpatnam, — why 

 should they now be so very few and unprofitable? This opinion 

 expressed, I believe, his honest belief; there was no advantage in 

 deceiving me and at that time he had no idea that I was likely 

 to have any connexion with the Indian banks. Candid opinion of 

 the native fishermen is often shrewd and well considered, 



* " Report on Pearl Fisheries and C hank Fisheries," Madras, 1884, page 24, paragraphs 

 76 and 77. 



