THE PEARL FISHERIES OF CEYLON.* 



By Prof. W. A. Herdman, D. Sr., F. R. S. 



The celebrated pearl " oysters " of Ceylon are found mainly in 

 certain ])arts of the wide, shallow plateau wliich occupies the upper 

 end of the (Julf of iNIanaar, oH' the northwest coast of the island 

 and south of Adams Bridge. 



The animal {Margaritifera twJgaris, Schum. = Avicnla fucata^ 

 Gould) is not a true oyster, but belongs to the family Aviculidse, 

 and is therefore more nearly related to the nnissels (Mytihis) than 

 to the oysters (Ostrcea) of oui- seas. 



The fisheries are of very great antiquity. They are referred to by 

 various classical authors, and Pliny speaks of the pearls from 

 Taprobane (Ceylon) as '' by far the best in the world." Cleopatra 

 is said to have obtained pearls from Aripu, a small village on the 

 Gulf of Manaar, which is still the center of the pearl industry. 

 Coming to more recent times, but still some centuries back, we have 

 records of fisheries under the Cingalese kings of Kandy, and sub- 

 sequently under the successive European rulers — the Portuguese 

 being in possession from about 1505 to about 1655, the Dutch from 

 that time to about 1T'.)5, and the English from the end of the eight- 

 eenth century onward. A notable feature of these fisheries under 

 all administrations has been their uncertainty. 



The Dutch records show that there were no fisheries l)etween 17:^2 

 and 1T4(), and again between 17G8 and 1796. During our own time 

 the supply failed in 1820 to 1828, in 1837 to 1854, in 1864 and several 

 succeeding years, and, finally, aftei" five successful fisheries in 1887, 

 1888, 1889, 1890, and 1891, there has been no return for the last decade. 

 Many reasons, some fanciful, others with more or less basis of truth, 

 have been given from time to time for these recurring failures of 

 the fishery, and several investigations, such as that of Doctor Kelaart 



"Address before the Royal Institution of Great Britain, Friday, March 27. 

 1903. Here reprinted from author's revised copy. The official report upon this 

 investigation is now l)eing puI)lishod for the Ceylon government by the Royal 



Society of Loudon. 



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