THE PEARL FISHERIES OP CEYLON. 4<S7 



have got through tlie work I did in the very limited time had it not 

 been for Mr. HornelFs skjiled assistance." 



Most of the pearl oyster banks or " paars " (meaning rock or any 

 form of hard I)otl:oni, in distinction to "' manul/' which indicates loose 

 or soft sand) are in depths of from 5 to 10 fathoms an'd occupy the 

 Avide shallow area of nearly 50 miles in length, and extending oppo- 

 site Aripu to 1:10 miles in breadtli. which lies to the south of Adam's 

 Bridge. On the western vi\<i;o of this area there is a steep declivity, 

 the sea dee])ening within a few miles from un<ler 10 to over 100 fath- 

 oms, Awhile out in the center of the southern part of the (Julf of 

 Manaar, to the west of the Chilaw Pearl Ranks, depths of Ix'tAveen 

 1,000 and '2,000 fathoms are reached. On our two cruises in the 

 L{f(/// IL/rcIock we made a careful examination of the ground in sev- 

 eral places outside the banks to the westward, on the chance of finding- 

 beds of adult oysters from which possibly the spat deposited on the 

 inshore banks might be derived. No such beds outside the known 

 "paars'' were found, nor are they likely to exist. The bottom 

 de])osits in the ocean abysses to the west of CV\vlon are " glol)igerina 

 ooze " and " green nnub"' which ar(> entiivly dilferent in nature and 

 origin froui tiie coarse lei-i'igenous sand, often cemented into masses, 

 and the various calcsireons neritic de|)osits, such as corals and nulli- 

 pores, found in the shrdlow water on the bauks. The stee})est i)art 

 of the slo|)e froui 10 or 'JO falliouis down (o nbout 100 fathoms or 

 more all along the western coast seems iii most jdaces to Iiave a hai'd 

 bottom covered with Alcyonaria, s])onges, d(H>j>sea corals, and other 

 large encrusting and dendritic organisms. Neither on this slo])e nor 

 in the dee}) water beyond the clilf iVul we find any gr'ound suital)l(^ 

 for the pearl oyster to live ui)on. 



Close to the top of tlie steep s]o])e, about 20 miles from laud, and 

 in de]:)ths of from S to 10 fathoms, is sihmled the largest of the 

 " ])aars," the celela-ated Periya Paai', which has fi'e([uently figured 

 in the insj)ector'''s reports, has often giM'u I'ise to hopes of gri'at 

 fisheries, and has as often caused deep disai)])ointment to successive 

 Government officials. The ]*ei-iy:i Paar runs for about 11 nauticnl 

 miles north and south, and \aries from 1 to 2 miles in bi'cdth, and 

 this — for a paar — large extent of gi'ound becomes j)eriodica11y co^'- 

 ered with young oysters, which, however, almost invai'iably dis- 

 appear before the next inspection. This paar has been called by 

 the natives the "mother paar" under the impression that the young- 

 oysters that come and go in falmlous numbers migrate oi- are carried 

 inward and supply the inshore paars with their populations. I)ui'- 

 ing a careful investigation of the Periya Paar and its surroundings 



"Mr. lloi-nell is now iiiui-ino Ijiolo^ist to the Ceylon governnieiU and insiicclor 

 of tlie pearl banks. — W. A. II. January, .1005. 



