7 
Tinnevelly. On the spot where I humbly apprehend the 
truth can be best deduced, tar different sentiments prevail. 
The chank was certainly fished by the Dutch, but whether 
by the consent or inattention of the Nabob, I cannot 
pretend to decide ; but it is well known the pearl fishery 
was entirely stopped by the just demand made by His 
Highness on the fisheries. But I conceive these points to 
be totally foreign to the question. Though the generos- 
ity cr weakness of the Nabob made him forego his 
right to the valuable fisheries on his coast, those rights 
are original and valid and it remains for the company to 
determine whether the same attention shall be paid to 
this branch of revenue as to every other included in the 
assignment.” 
In 1785, Tuticorin was restored to the Dutch and in 
the following year a provisional treaty was drawn out 
and executed by Mr. J. Dott on the part of the Nawab 
and by Mr. Van der Graaf on the part ofthe Dutch. [In 
this agreement it was stipulated that half the proceeds 
of the pearl fishery at Tuticorin should belong to the 
Nawab, but no mention was made of the Ceylon 
(Mannar) pearl fishery and the entire proceeds of the 
Tuticorin chank fishery were ceded as an exclusive right 
to the Dutch. _ The fisheries were to be let by public 
sale to the highest bidder. ‘This treaty appears never to 
have been ratified by the Nawab to whom it probably 
proved unsatisfactory as it deprived him of all participa- 
tion both in the Ceylon pearl fishery and in the Tuticorin 
chank fishery. 
Pressed by the Madras Government who wished to 
see an end to the friction between the Nawab and the 
Dutch, the Nawab in 1788 made another treaty with the 
Dutch whereby it was stipulated in article 1, that “the 
pearl and chank fisheries of Tuticorin shall be equally 
divided between the high contracting parties. The 
chank fishery shall, as usual, be let to the highest bidder 
and the net produce equally divided.” 
By another article the Nawab confirmed the Dutch 
in their trading monopoly in Madura cloth—the most 
lucrative source of revenue to the Dutch Company in 
their settlement on the Tinnevelly coast. The Madras 
Government learning of this, vetoed the treaty but its 
terms were allowed to govern the pear! fishery held off 
