^t 



abundance and so replenish the sea-bottom with new 



venerations 



The chank fishery although thus beset with its own 

 minor troubles and particular difficulties has been a 

 constant revenue yielder. During the it2 years since 

 i8oi the total ;^6'/ revenue, after all expenses have been 

 paid, has amounted to Rs. 15,41,731, as against a net 

 revenue of Rs. 15,64,071 froni the pearl fishery. 



During these 112 years, chank fisheries were held 

 yearly except on four occasions, 1839-40, 1851-52, 1871-72 

 and 1884-85, giving 108 fisheries for this period of 112 

 years. As a contrast only 13 pearl fisheries have been 

 held during the same space of timie and as considerable 

 expenditure is entailed annually upon inspection of the 

 l)carl banks whether a pearl fishery takes place or not, the 

 absolute profit obtained from the chank fishery consi- 

 derably exceeds that obtained from the pearl fishery. 

 Thus while both fisheries yield substantial profits to the 

 country, the more showy pearl fishery, invested with the 

 false glamour of a gambler's royal road to wealth, has over- 

 shadowed the steady dividend payer which lures no man 

 to ruin with false hopes but pays its way year by year 

 with stolid and assured regularity. Well might Van 

 I mhoff remark when Governor of Ceylon that the pearl 

 fishery is more of glitter than of gold ! 



As carried on at the present day, the Tinnevelly 

 chank fishery employs an average of 70 divers, so, allow- 

 ing an average of 4 dependents each, some 350 persons 

 look to this calling for their subsistence, to say nothing 

 of the considerable number who derive substantial indirect 

 profit —notably the arrack renters and the toddy-tavern 

 keepers. 



The season opens about the middle or end of October, 

 when the divers come forward with more or less feigned 

 reluctance to register their names for the ensuing season. 

 A present of Re. 1 is given each man in order to buy and 

 prepare his diving rope and other gear while betel leaf 

 and arecanut {pan supari) are distributed. An advance 

 of Rs. 2 per man is also usually given, to be recovered 

 when catches become large. 



rhe men provide their own canoes and diving stones, 

 usually hiring the former at Rs. 7 to Rs. 9 per mensem. 

 The usual crew of an ordinary sized diving canoe consists 



