Account of the Pearl Fiflnr'j \n the Gulph of AJanar. 543 



Thefe boats he farmed out again to individuals in the befl: manner he could, but for 

 want of a fuflicient number of divers feme of them could not be employed. 



The fifliing, which commonly began about the middle of February^ if wind and weather 

 allowed, was this year, for various reaforis, delayed till the end of the month ; yet fo fa- 

 vourable was the weather, that the renter was able to take advantage of the permiflion 

 granted by the agreement, to fi(h a little longer than the ufual period of thirty days. 



The fifliery cannot well be continued after the fetting in of the fouthern monfoon, 

 which ufually happens about the 15th of April, as, after that time, the boats would not 

 be able to reach the pearl banks, and the water being then fo troubled by heavy feas, 

 diving would be impradlicable ; in addition to which, the fea-weed, a fpecies oi fucus, 

 driven in by the foutherly wind, and which fpreads to a confiderable diftance from the 

 fhore, would be an impediment. 



Many of the divers, being Roman Catholics, leave the fifliery on Sundays to attend divine 

 fervice in their church at Aripoo ; but if either a Mahomedan or Hindoo feftival happens 

 during the fifliing days, or if it is interrupted by ftormy weather, or any other accident, 

 this loft time is made up by obliging the Catholics to work on Sundays. 



The fear of fliarks, as we fliall fee hereafter, is alfo another caufe of interruption. 

 Thefe, amongft fome others, are the reafons that, out of two months, (from February till 

 April) feldom more than thirty days can be employed in the fifliery. 



As this time would be infuflicient to fifla all the banks, (each of which has its appro- 

 priate name, both in Dutch and Tamul,) it is carried on for three or four fuccefllve years, 

 and a new contraft annually made till the whole banks have been fiflied, after which they 

 are left to recover. 



The length of time required for this purpofe, or from one .general fifliing to another, has 

 not yet been exaflly determined ; it was, therefore, a praftice to depute fome perfons to 

 vifit the banks annually, and to give their opinion, whether a fifliery might be undertaken 

 with any degree of fuccefs * ? 



From various accounts, which I have collefted from good authority, and the experience 

 of thofe who aflifted at fuch examinations, I conjefture, that ^ery feven years fuch a ge- 

 neral fifliery could be attempted with advantage, as this interval feems fuflicient for the 

 pearl fliells to attain their growth : I am alfo confirmed in this opinion, by a report made 

 by a Dutch governor at Jrfnas of all the fiflieries that have been undertaken at Ceylon fince 

 1722; a tranflation of which is to be found in Wolfe's Travels into Ceylon, But the ruin- 

 ous condition in which the divers leave the pearl banks at each fifliery, by attending only 

 to the profit of individuals, and not to that of the public, is one great caufe, that it re- 

 quires twice the above mentioned fpace of time, and fometimes longer, for rendering the 

 fifliing produ£live. They do not pay the leafl; attention, to fpare the young and imma- 

 ture fliells that contain no pearl ; heaps of them are feen thrown out of the boats as ufelefs, 



* A gentleman, who affifted at one of the laft vifits, being an engineer, drew a chart of the banks, by 

 which their fitHation and fize are now better known than formerly. 



4 A 2 on 



