1903. 1 on the Pearl Fisheries of Ceylon. 281 



ground in several places ontsicle 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 deposits in the ocean abysses to the west of 

 Ceylon are " globigerina ooze," and " green mud," which are entirely 

 different in nature and origin from the coarse terrigenous sand, often 

 cemented into masses, and the various calcareous neritic deposits, 

 such as corals and nullipores, found in the shallow water on the 

 banks. The steepest part of the slope from 10 or 20 fathoms down 

 to about 100 fathoms or more, all along the western coast seems in 

 most places to have a hard bottom covered with Alcyonaria, sponges, 

 deep-sea corals and other large encrusting and dendritic organisms. 

 Neither on this slope nor in the deep water beyond the cliff did we 

 find any ground suitable for the pearl oyster to live upon. 



Close to the top of the steep slope, about 20 miles from land, and 

 in depths of from 8 to 10 fathoms, is situated the largest of the 

 " Paars," the celebrated Periya Paar, which has frequently figured 

 in the inspectors' reports, has often given rise to hopes of great 

 fisheries, and has as often caused deep disappointment to successive 

 Government officials. The Periya Paar runs for about 11 nautical 

 miles north and south, and varies from one to two miles in breadth, 

 and this — for a paar — large extent of ground becomes periodically 

 covered with young oysters, which, however, almost invariably 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 fabulous numbers migrate or are carried 

 inwards and supply the inshore paars with their populations. 

 During a careful investigation of the Periya Paar and its sur- 

 roundings we satisfied ourselves that there is no basis of fact for this 

 belief ; and it became clear to us that the successive broods of young 

 oysters on the Periya paar, amounting probably within the last 

 quarter century alone to many millions of millions of oysters, which 

 if they had been saved would have constituted enormous fisheries, 

 have all been overwhelmed by natural causes, due mainly to the 

 configuration of the ground and its exposure to the south-west 

 monsoon. 



The following Table shows, in brief, the history of the Periya 

 Paar for the last twenty -four years : — ■ 



Feb.. 1880. Abundance of young oysters. 



Mar. 1882. No oysters on the bank. 



Mar. 1883. Abundance of young oysters, 6 to 9 months old. 



Mar. 1884. Oy sterns still on bank, mixed with others of 3 months old. 



Mar. 1885. Older oysters gone, and very few of the younger remaining. 



Mar. 188G. No oysters on bank. 



Nov. 1887. Abundance of young oysters, 2 to 3 months. 



Nov. 1888. Oysters of last year gone and new lot come, 3 to 6 months. 



Nov. 1889. Oysters of last year gone ; a few patches 3 months old present. 



Mar. 1892. No oysters on the bank. 



u 2 



