27 



of the young oyster. More than that, on examination In 

 March 1910 it was found that the young oysters deposited 

 as spat in October 1908 were mature measuring up to 

 4^X35- inches, and i| inches in thickness, while the 

 flavour was excellent. Hence it is now a demonstrated 

 fact that oyster spat can be obtained in abundance by the 

 simplest of processes and that the oysters are fully 

 marketable in 18 months from spat fall. This matter 

 has been fully reported on in Mr. Hornell's two papers, 

 on oyster culture at Arcachon and on a proposed oyster 

 farm at Pulicat, submitted with my letter No. 233, dated 

 the ist July 1910 ; the beginnings of an oyster industry 

 are now in sight, and ten years may see it well established 

 as a profitable business both in Madras and elsewhere. 



2 I . Pearl and Chank Fisheries. — These were taken 

 over from the Collector of Tinnevelly and Port Officer 

 of Tuticorin from ist April 1909, and have been worked 

 by ** Fisheries " throughout the year. The pearl bank 

 inspection begun in March 1909 was concluded in April ; 

 no pearl oysters were found. The chank fishery 

 continued till May with good results as reported in the 

 Superintendent's letter read in G.O., No. 3076, Revenue, 

 dated 13th November 1909 ; the proceeds of the fishery 

 were 272,841 first sort shells sold at Rs. 99 odd per 

 1,000 for a sum of Rs. 27,536 including undersized and 

 wormed shells at Rs. 6 per 1,000; deducting the sums 

 paid to the divers and cost of management, the net 

 proceeds were Rs. 18,397. Mr. V. Govindan, Personal 

 Assistant, was in charge from May to November during 

 Mr. Hornell's absence in Europe and did good work 

 throughout ; from November Mr. Hornell was in charge. 

 During the season 1909-10 various concessions 

 sanctioned by Government were made to the divers, such 

 as the promise of 8 pies per shell instead of 6 for all 

 full-sized shells obtained above 3 lakhs ; bad weather 

 prevented this concession from coming into operation ; 

 a small bonus per canoe was however granted to the 

 divers ; a channel was also re-opened so that the boats 

 could get close to the chank godown. By the purchase 

 of the motor whale-boat " Pearl " received at the end of 

 January, considerable aid was given to the divers by 

 towing their canoes when calms would otherwise have 

 caused entire inability to go to sea ; this happened on 

 15 days and she thus enabled the divers to obtain 17,000 



