70 PEARLS [CH. 



said, the pearl fishery is the greatest gamble of the 

 world. From the very commencement to the end 

 the procedure is guarded and cared for by "fickle 

 fortune," and it requires very little knowledge of the 

 East to appreciate the excited condition of the 

 natives of Ceylon and even India and more remote 

 parts during a fishery. In olden times it was rumour 

 which collected the divers. They heard from afar 

 that the harvest was ripe and they came to the 

 banks with zest to take part in the lottery. For 

 some hundred years, however, the Gulf of Manaar 

 banks have been carefully examined every year by 

 a Government inspector, and the Ceylon Govern- 

 ment has decided whether there would be a fishery 

 or not. The fishery takes place in February, March 

 or April, while the inspection was usually in 

 November. 



The fact that a fishery is to be held is now made 

 known by the newspapers, but probably passes just 

 as quickly in the more ancient way from mouth to 

 mouth until the whole of the Orient is informed of 

 the fact The advertisements in the newspapers are 

 printed in Cingalese, Tamil and English. A notice 

 of the fishery of 1905 is appended. 



