25 



ojf six divers and one thodai who tends the divers' 

 lines, drawing up the stone and securing it at the gunwale 

 ready for use again, after each man dives. He also looks 

 after the baling of the boat, the supply of drinking water 

 and such odd jobs. He is paid by a contribution either 

 in cash or in shells from each diver. 



When the morning breeze be favourable — a land 

 breeze preferably, the canoes set sail from shore by sun- 

 rise, or as soon as all the laggards can be rounded in. 

 Sometimes the thodai has a headache and does not 

 appear, in which case, the divers of his canoe generally 

 disperse and take a holiday ; it does not seem to occur to 

 them to manao-e without him ! When catches are oood 

 and winds light, the men go earlier, sleeping on the sands 

 by their canoes till 2 or 3 a.m. when they set off. But 

 the inducement must be considerable or such energy is 

 not possible ! 



Now that a motor launch is available, the men have 

 an easier time and when calms and headwinds prevail the 

 launch tows the canoes to the fishing ground or until a 

 favourable breeze comes. 



Usually a par-mandadi or fisherman-pilot, paid by 

 Government, accompanies the boat to guide the divers to 

 whatever chank bed or piral they may fancy. This par- 

 mandadi is usually a line-fisherman with extensive know- 

 ledoeofall the fishino- orounds within a radius of 10 miles 

 from Tuticorin. Sometimes when beds which have a good 

 reputation give poor yields or when a revisit to the place 

 which gave good results the previous day is disa]:)point- 

 ing, the divers vent their spleen on the par-mandadi in 

 unparliamentary language ; a row ensues and a new 

 par-mandadi may have to be sought for. The buoying 

 of good banks was also carried out during the past two 

 seasons and is to be further developed when a fisheries 

 inspection vessel becomes available. Till a rich bed be 

 found the canoes are allowed to drift, the divers descend- 

 ing from time to time to prospect. When they are 

 satisfied with the result, the canoe is anchored and 

 serious work begins. Under favourable conditions about 

 25 descents are made yielding anything from nothing to 

 eight shells j)er dive. I'lilike the custom followed in the 

 local pearl fisheries no second line attached to a net 

 bag is employed. On reaching the bottom by means of 



