CEYLON PEARL OYSTER FISHERIES. 201 



As regards predatory fish, the large ray or skate would seem 

 among the worst. At the inspection in November, 1902, I decided 

 that a certain bed was quite the gem of those to be fished in March, 

 1903 ; the oysters were larger and older than any others I had 

 inspected, and were very plentiful ; however, as I was passmg over 

 this spot on my way back at the end of the inspection, I observed a 

 vevy large shoal of rays in the vicinity. In the following March, 

 about the second week of the fishery, I moved to this my pet bed of 

 oysters, only, however, to be told by the divers that there were no 

 living oysters there. I at once descended in the diving dress and 

 found the bottom of the sea strewn with empty oyster shells, each 

 valve turned nacre upwards and shining, giving a very curious effect, 

 whilst each shell or valve was broken obviously by external pressure 

 into three pieces. This could only have been done by the powerful 

 jaws and teeth of the ray. 



The method employed by the native diver is this. At a fishery 

 each boat contains ten divers, who work five at a time, and each 

 pair has one attendant, called a manduck (as he does not enter the 

 water it seems a misnomer to describe him as ' ' man duck ") ; he also 

 rows or sails the boat. In addition there is a tindal, a representative 

 of the owner of the boat, and a peon or individual representing 

 Government interests. 



Each boat has five stone sinkers, sometimes rather shapety, 

 having a hole at the upper end , to which the rope is attached ; a 

 second rope is attached to a small circular frame or hoop , which has 

 a coir netting across it. This is called the basket. The local basket 

 is shallow, but that of the Arab divers of the Persian Gulf has a small 

 circumference but a deep net. 



When the divers are readj^ they get over the side, place one foot 

 on the stone , which is held clear of the side of the boat by two poles 

 fastened at right angles over the side of the boat and a third pole 

 lashed to each end of them parallel to the boat. Grasping the rope 

 to which the stone is fastened, and hitching the loop of the rope 

 attached to the basket over his arm, the diver, closing his nostrils 

 with his free hand, takes a deep breath, and slightly raising himself to 

 add impetus to his descent, gives the signal to the manduck to let go 

 the rope fastened to the stone, and down he goes. The instant he 

 reaches the bottom he lets go the stone, which is hauled up prepara- 

 tory to the next descent, whilst the diver swimming on the bottom 

 with his eyes open grasps all the oysters within reach in the limited 

 time at his disposal. I do not think I have seen anything more 

 graceful than when I was on the bottom of the sea in the diving 

 dress I watched these men at work. They seem to float much as 

 a person is drawn in an imaginary picture as flying ; their backs 

 gracefully arched and their heels above their heads, whilst their 

 generally long hair waves gracefully behind them supported by the 

 water. Occasionally men either from avarice or over-estimation of 



