91 



While on privilege leave during the year Mr. Hor- 

 nell devoted a considerable period to the study of 

 practical mussel-culture in the south of France, in view 

 to work out here in the near future. The controlled 

 culture of pearl oysters and of pearls is noticed below. 



32. Pearl and chunk fishery. — This will, as usual, be 

 separately reported on in detail ; only salient features 

 will be mentioned here. 



2i'^. Pearl fishery. — There is no prospect for years 

 of any pearl fishery on the Tinnevelly banks, owing to 

 the absence of oysters, but an inspection of the Palk 

 Bay waters near Tondi resulted in the discovery of a 

 fairly mature bed of oysters estimated at twenty millions 

 in number, and a fishery will probably be held there in 

 September next. The fact is remarkable because no 

 pearl fishery or pearl oyster bed has ever been known 

 before in Palk Bay which is north of the Pamban chan- 

 nel, all fisheries having hitherto taken place to the south 

 in the Gulf of Manaar where alone pearl oyster beds 

 have been worked from time immemorial. Moreover, 

 Mr. Hornell reports that the oysters are living on a 

 bottom much softer and more muddy than he has ever 

 known them to thrive on elsewhere. It is also note- 

 worthy that this new discovery in Palk Bay is due 

 partly to the recent renting of the Ramnad chank fish- 

 eries from the Raja of Ramnad which led Mr. Hornell 

 to turn attention to that area, but mainly to the acquisi- 

 tion in October 19 13 of the inspection schooner Z<3:</^' 

 Nicholson which enabled Mr. Hornell to survey the area 

 in question upon hearing reports that pearl oysters had 

 been picked up on the Tondi shore ; Mr. Hornell's zeal 

 and perseverance under trying conditions then enabled 

 him to locate the bed in question. As the first fruits of 

 the new schooner's work the discovery is very gratifying. 



34. Pearl cidtiLre. — Mr. Hornell drew up during the 

 year a scheme for cultivating the pearl oyster under 

 controllable conditions in a regular farm, and for induc- 

 ing the growth of pearls, both attached and free, in 

 these controlled oysters. He found an excellent site on 

 Krusadai island close to Pamban, and sketch plans and 

 estimate for the farm have recently been submitted to 

 Government. The recent discovery of pearl oyster in 

 Palk Bay will provide abundant material for the farm 



