31 



fell short of the other expenses of the fishery and left the 

 Government with a loss of over Rs. i,ooo on their 

 speculation, due partly to the price received beino' unduly 

 low, and partly to mistakes made and to difficulties 

 experienced in organizing the first year's fishery, which 

 proved an utter failure in consequence. If the second 

 year be judged on its merits, the results may be consi- 

 dered as quite satisfactory and it is greatly to be regretted 

 that Government did not give the experiment the benefit 

 of a longer trial, not with the specific object of making- 

 money out of it but to ensure the organization of the 

 fishery on lines satisfactory to the fishermen and condu- 

 cive to the increased prosperity of the chank-beds. At 

 present no attention is given by the lessees to this latter 

 object, their aim being to squeeze the uttermost pie out 

 of the fishery irrespective of the future well-being of the 

 beds. A very great number of immature shells are in 

 consequence brought ashore, instead of being returned 

 alive to the sea. 



Fishimj localities. — Unlike the Tinnevelly fishery 

 where all the shells may be classed as of one and the 

 same quality, those from the Ramnad coasts vary con- 

 siderably, and fall into three classes according as they are 

 fished {a) off the mainland north and south of Kilakarai, 

 (/;) between the north of Rameswaram Island and 

 Kachchetivu islet midway to the Jaffna islands in Ceylon, 

 and {c) oft' the mainland of Ramnad to the north of 

 Mandapam (Pamban). 



The first named are very scarce but fetch a high 

 price on account of their exceptionally large size and 

 fine quality. Only 7,000 are said to be fished in an 

 ordinary season. The Rameswaram shells are very 

 similar in quality to those from the Tinnevelly coast and 

 except that they contain a larger proportion of small 

 sizes, a parcel of these shells is difficult to distinguish 

 from one from Tuticorin. The market price is only a 

 few rupees less than that of the Tuticorin quality. Of 

 these shells from 40,000 to 60,000 should be fished in a 

 good year. The third locality, the beds off the mainland 

 between Pamban and Tondi, yields shells inferior in size, 

 shape, and colour. The whorls are much telescoped and 

 the colour inclines to a reddish tint at the mouth. These 

 beds are chiefly in shallow water, the beds composed of 



