12 



Tholayiram Par, the condition of which, as regards oyster 

 supply, since the year 1860, is shown by the followiDg 

 extract from the records : — 



April 1860. Plenty of oysters 3^ years old. 



Nov. 1861. Oysters scarce ; nearly all gone. 



April 1863. Sooram and killikay with some young oysters. 



Nov. 1865. 'J 



April 1866. 



„ 1867. J> Blank. 

 Nov. „ ( 

 April 1869. J 

 Mar. 1871. Five oysters with a quantity of sooram. 



Pive oysters of 3 years age found. 



Three oysters found. 



Three oysters of 2 years age found. 



North part blank. 



South part blank. 



Thickly stocked with oysters of 1 year age. 



Blank. 



Some oysters of 1 year mixed with killikay. 

 No living oysters ; dead shells and sooram. 

 Three oysters found. 

 Mar 1884. Plenty of oysters of one year age ; clean and 

 healthy. 



From 1884 the bank was carefully watched, and the 

 growth of the oysters continued steadily, unchecked by 

 adverse conditions, as the following figures show : — 



In November 1888 15,000 oysters were lifted and their 

 product valued by expert pearl merchants at Es, 206-13-9, 

 i.e., Rs. 13-12-8 per thousand ^ as shown by the following 

 copy of the statement of valuation : — 



' The product of 12,000 oysters lifted from the Ceylon pearl bank, 

 the fishing of which took place synchronously with that of the Tuticorin 

 bank, in November 1888 was valued at Rs. 122. A further sample of 

 12,650 oysters, lifted in February 1889, was valued at Rs. 142, 



