31 
fell short of the other expenses of the fishery and left the 
Government with a loss of over Rs. 1,000 on their 
speculation, due partly to the price received being unduly 
low, and partly to mistakes made and to difficulties 
experienced in organizing the first year’s fishery, which 
proved an utter failure in consequence. If the second 
year be judged on its merits, the results may be consi- 
dered as quite satisfactory and it is greatly to be regretted 
that Government did not give the experiment the benefit 
of a longer trial, not with the specific object of making 
money out of it but to ensure the organization of the 
fishery on lines satisfactory to the fishermen and condu- 
cive to the increased prosperity of the chank-beds. At 
present no attention is given bythe lessees to this latter 
object, their aim being to squeeze the uttermost pie out 
of the fishery irrespective of the future well-being of the 
beds. A very great number of immature shells are in 
consequence brought ashore, instead of being returned 
alive to the sea. 
Fishing loealities.—Unlike the Tinnevelly fishery 
where all the shells may be classed as of one and the 
same quality, those from the Ramnad coasts vary con- 
siderably, and fall into three classes according as they are 
fished (a) off the mainland north and south of Kilakarai, 
(6) between the north of Raméswaram Island an1 
Xachchetivu islet midway to the Jaffna islands in Ceylon, 
and (c) off the mainland of Ramnad to the north of 
Mandapam (Pamban). 
The first named are very scarce but fetch a high 
price on account of their exceptionally large size and 
fine quality. Only 7,000 are said to be fished in an 
ordinary season. ‘The Raméswaram shells are very 
similar in quality to those from the Tinnevelly coast and 
except that they contain a larger proportion of small 
sizes, a parcel of these shells is difficult to distinguish 
from one from Tuticorin. The market price is only a 
few rupees less than that of the Tuticorin quality. Of 
these shells from 40,000 to 60,000 should be fished in a 
good year. The third locality, the beds off the mainland 
between Pamban and Tondi, yields shells inferior in size, 
shape, and colour. The whorls are much telescoped and 
the colour inclines to a reddish tint at the mouth. These 
beds are chiefly in shallow water, the beds composed of 
