109 



for valuation, and the abundance of oysters may be judged 

 from the fact that, on more than one occasion, as many as 

 100 oysters were brought up at a single dive. My own 

 share of the morning's work consisted of a Fungia {F. 

 repanda) and three living specimens of the pearl-oyster 

 Avicula (Mekagrinn) mqrgnritifera, attached by its byssus to 

 coral-rock. Captain Donnan informs me that he has only 

 seen about a dozen specimens of this mollusc during his 28 

 years' experience as Inspector of the banks, so that it cannot 

 be present in any abundance. Shell-incrusting corals, 

 though present on the bank, were far less common than on 

 the Muttuwartu Par. 



On the afternoon of the 5th we sailed about 20 miles 

 north, and anchored in 2 fathoms, 3 miles south of the 

 village off Aripu, off Sildvaturai, which is made the head- 

 quarters at times when the Cheval and Motaragam (Mud- 

 rigam) banks are fished. Eising from the sandy shore 

 between Aripu and Sildvaturai is a miniature sand-cliff, 

 reaching a maximum height of about 12 feet, and extend- 

 ing over a distance of about half a mile, which contains a 

 thick bed composed almost entirely of pearl-oyster shells — 

 evidence of the enormous number of oysters which have been 

 taken from the neighbouring banks at fisheries in the past. 

 Similar beds of oyster shells were exposed in sections nearly 

 a mile inland. The Cheval and Motaragam banks are 

 situateil from 9 to 12 miles out at sea in water varying in 

 depth from 6 to 10 fathoms. Between the shore and the 

 banks the water gradually reaches a depth of 6 fathoms ; but, 

 as in the case of the Muttuwartu and Karaitivu Pars, the 

 depth increases rapidly to 150 fathoms outside the banks. 

 The sea bottom between the shore and the banks is made up 

 mainly of sand with many worn shells, a luxuriant growth of 

 sea-weeds, and scattered coral patches. Among moUusca 

 Modiola tulipa in an advanced stage of growth, and the chank 

 {Turbinella rapa) were very abundant. No fishing for chanks 

 is permitted south of the Island of Manaar, lest, at the same 

 time, raids should be made on the pearl banks. The fishery 

 is, however, actively carried on north of the island on a dif-> 

 ferent system to that which is in force at Tutieorin (p 3-3), 

 the boat- owners paying a small sum of money annually to 

 Government, and making wbat profit they can from the sale 

 of the shells. 



Writing of the banks off Aripu, which have been, for 

 many years, the sheet-anchor of the Ceylon fishery, Captain 



