7Q PEARLS [CH. 



total number of oysters obtained at the ensuing 

 fishery. 



The actual number of oysters is, however, not the 

 main object of the fishery, the important question 

 being the determination of the probable value of the 

 pearls which will be obtained. It is necessary, there- 

 fore, for an official valuation to be made of the gems 

 obtained at the inspection for the purpose of ad- 

 vertising the fishery. Consequently, during intervals, 

 three large samples of oysters of fishable age are 

 obtained, partly by means of divers and partly by 

 dredging. The weight and the number of the pearls 

 to each 1000 oysters are calculated, the particular 

 place from which the oysters are taken being 

 noted. 



The next procedure is to mark out the fishing 

 ground, and to make known the meaning of the 

 marks. The method is rather a novel one. The 

 boundaries of the fishing ground are marked by 

 buoys bearing red flags, while a series of white- 

 flag buoys are placed wherever fishable oysters are 

 present. The divers are instructed to cluster their 

 boats round the various white flags. The oyster 

 buoys are placed according to the distribution of 

 oysters mapped out after the inspection, but to guard 

 against the possibility of mistake the abundance of 

 oysters may be verified by preliminary dives before 

 anchoring the buoys in position. The flag system 



