34 SPOLIA ZEYLAXICA. 



is no ground set apart as a breeding reserve, and that without this 

 provision they might even tend towards the virtual extinction of the 

 spawning oysters. 



The placuna beds occur in the backwaters of two neighbouring 

 divisions of the Trincomalee District, namely, Koddiyar andKiniyai, 

 which are under the supervision of their respective Vanniyas, and 

 are separated from each other by the Mahaweli-ganga. Lake Tam- 

 blegam lies within the Kiniyai boundaries , and has long been known 

 as the headquarters of the placuna fishery in Ceylon. There are, 

 however, two other backwaters, the Sambore river and the Uppu- 

 aru, connected with the great bay at Trincomalee, where the nature 

 of the bottom and the salinity of the water offer more or less favour- 

 able conditions for the window-pane oyster. The Uppu-aru lies to 

 the west on the Kiniyai side of the Mahaweli-ganga, and is connected 

 with this important river about 10 miles inland by a winding 

 channel called the Savaru, a fact which has a bearing upon the 

 well-being of the placuna beds in the Uppu estuary, owing to the 

 likelihood of an excessive sedimentation and freshening of the water 

 during the rainy season, both of which may act calamitously upon 

 the placuna communities. To the east of the Mahaweli-ganga occurs 

 the Mutur-aru, and beyond this again the Sambore river, of which 

 the most considerable expanse is known as the Kaddaiparichchan- 

 aru. The Mutur-aru forms part of the delta of the ganga, and the 

 water opposite to the present resthouse at the old port of Koddiyar 

 is nearly fresh. 



Sambore River. 



After consultation with Mr. Vaughan, I took passage in a Koddiyar 

 dhoney and crossed the bay to the Mutur estuary and resthouse, 

 where I met the Vanniya of Koddiyar by arrangement. On the 

 following morning (June 11) the Vanniya accompanied me nearly 

 2 miles along the Sambore ro9,d, across the Batticaloa road, to the 

 Kaddaiparichchan ferry or Paikiraturai, a spot marked by a double 

 tamarind tree and a pile of edible oyster shells perhaps destined 

 to be calcined. This ferry leads to the Topur road across the river. 

 Here I embarked in a large log boat which was in readiness, manned 

 by three boatmen and two divers. A hundred yards or so below 

 the ferry we pass the entrance to the great inlet called the Kaddai- 

 parichchan- aru on the right bank of the river. About a quarter of 

 a mile farther down on the same side there issues another winding 

 ramification named Irattamaddikkali-odai. It is important to note 

 that the main stream of the Sambore river has a fresh water cormec- 

 tion with the ancient but recently restored Allai tank, about 6 miles 

 from the sea. 



In the lower reaches of the river where the tide runs strongest the 

 bottom is sandy ; in the more sheltered recesses there are patches of 



