No. 4 (1917) INDIAN BECHE-DE-MER 123 



prospects of the industry. The result, while confirming the 

 exporters' statements of poor prices prevailing for their goods, 

 revealed the fact that the main reason lay in a deterioration in 

 quality, due to a fault very prevalent I am sorry to say among 

 Indian manufacturers, to wit, the scamping of essential processes 

 in over-eagerness for immediate large profit and in a gradual 

 deviation from the original methods of preparation introduced by 

 Chinese curers. The history of the trade so far as I can see is one 

 of definite fluctuations. First comes a Chinese merchant-curer who 

 establishes a curing-station on the Palk Bay coast of the Ramnad 

 district, engages labour and buys the raw product from the local 

 divers. He works conscientiously in Chinese fashion, giving 

 constant supervision and insisting on approved methods being 

 followed, and, where need be, improving upon them. His product 

 is first-class, obtains good prices in Penang, Singapore or China, 

 and he begins to wax prosperous and extend his enterprise. Here 

 after a few years enters the Muhammadan merchant of Kilakarai ; 

 he has watched the Chinaman develop (or revive the trade), has 

 obtained knowledge of the curing methods pursued and the 

 general course of the trade, and forthwith determines to oust the 

 Chinaman and appropriate his business. So the next season the 

 Chinaman finds a rival curing-station opened ; he finds his trade 

 gone in a day and has no alternative but to seek some other stage 

 for the exercise of his talents. But why, it may be asked, does he 

 give in without a struggle ? Why ! because his rival has such 

 effective methods of influencing the divers of the local coast 

 villages that an outlander has no chance. The divers are pro- 

 bably already heavily in debt to this merchant or to one of his 

 relatives or friends for advances made for work in the Chank 

 Fishery which is usually carried on concurrently with the beche-de- 

 mer fishery, and a gentle turn of the debt-screw is all that is 

 necessary to enforce compliance with any boycott that may be 

 ordered against the stanger. Upon the departure of the Chinese 

 curer, the curing staff", being the same men as he employed, carry 

 on according to his methods and all goes well for a few years. 

 Then little by little carelessness and deviation in detail creep into 

 the conduct of the work and deterioration in the quality of the 

 product begins to be found by the Chinese buyers in the consign- 

 ments received. The Indian product falls in estimation and 

 eventually into such bad odour (figuratively and actually) that the 



