64 SPOLIA ZBYT.ANICA. 



The day's catch is, however, generally sold within the same night, 

 but if not the balance is disposed of privately the next morning. 



Quite early the next morning each purchaser comes to the 

 Government Agent for an order for the number of oysters knocked 

 down to him the previous night, and at once sets to work to remove 

 these to his own private shed ; and before noon the Government 

 kottu is clenred and ready for a fresh supply in the evening. 



Meanwhile, at about the previous midnight or soon after, the 

 wind then at that season of the year beginning to blow from the 

 land out to sea, another fleet of boats starts out for the paars, 

 reaches its destination by daybreak, anchors, and waits for the sea 

 to become smooth and the light sufficient. While waiting, a narrow 

 plank or bamboo platform is let down and fastened over each 

 side of the ship; and on these platforms, when the day has 

 advanced far enough, the divers rest squatting between their dives. 

 And then the history already told of the previous day's take is 

 repeated. 



The washing of the pearls from the oysters is a most tedious, 

 primitive, and somewhat disgusting process. The oysters are 

 simply left to rot, the process being much assisted by the vast 

 clouds of a black " housefly," which after the first day or two 

 permeates the whole camp. After a week's rotting the seething 

 and disgusting residue is sorted by hand, and the pearls, or such of 

 them as are of sufficient size, picked out. The residue is then 

 dried in the sun and becomes what is known as "sarakoo." 

 Thissarakoo is at leisure sorted and winnowed and examined over 

 and over again till the smallest-sized pearls have been extracted. 

 Many of those who have come to the camp have come not 

 to buy oysters, nor to wash them, but only to buy pearls. Of these, 

 some are small people, but most are wealthy capitalists from the 

 great towns of India and from Colombo. They live in two special 

 streets, where all day long they sit on the ground in their open- 

 fronted shops, toying with pearls spread on the dark coloured 

 cloth which lies for that purpose on the ground in front of them. 

 On the cloth, too, is a delicately formed copper scoop, shell shaped, 

 for lifting tlie pearls, neat little scales with a quaint-shaped case 

 to hold them and with weights, the larger of agate, the smaller of 

 bright scarlet seeds, also a set of basket-shaped sieves for grading 

 the pearls. When no one is present to sell they minutely weigh 

 again and again the larger of the pearls, sort them according to size, 

 colour, texture, and roundness, tie up the better specimens care- 

 fully in little screws of linen, put them away in the great strong 

 box, which forms almost the only furniture of the shop, take them 

 out again, and discuss each one over again with their partners and 



