Captain Srevarr on the Pearl Fisheries of the Island of Ceylon. 455 
carry one lugsail, made of light cloth loosely sewed to a tight coir rope, so 
that it blows out very much; or, as a sailor would say, it is roped tight, 
bags, and stands badly on a wind. These rude fittings subject them to 
frequent accidents ; and they often require the assistance of the boats of the 
master-attendant’s department to tow them to shore. 
With a favourable wind they sail very well, but cannot hold to the wind, 
or beat against it. They leave the shore with the land-wind about midnight, 
to proceed to the bank, a distance varying from nine to twelve miles; they 
are led by the Adapanars’ boats, in the direction of the government guard- 
vessel, which is at anchor close to the fishing-ground, with lights hoisted on 
board to guide the boats to the place. 
If they reach the bank before daylight they anchor close to the government- 
vessel until half past six o’clock, when the inspector hoists the signal to 
commence diving. When the weather is settled and favourable, the land- 
winds begin to die away as the sun gets up, by nine or ten the sea is quite calm, 
and at noon (when the gun is fired from the government-vessel for all diving to 
cease) a pleasant sea-breeze springs up, with which they run the boats to land. 
Wheo the regular land and sea-breezes are interrupted, which frequently 
occurs, they have to use their paddles (long sticks, with an oval piece of 
board lashed on the end), for the purpose of oars; and sometimes the fishery 
is stopped, until the return of favourable weather with regular land and 
sea-breezes. 
The crew of a boat consists of a ¢indal or master, ten divers, and thirteen 
other men, who manage the boat, and attend the divers when fishing ; each 
boat has five diving stones, the ten divers relieving each other, so that five 
divers are constantly at work during the hours of fishing. 
The weight of the diving-stones varies from fifteen to twenty-five pounds, 
according to the size of the diver ; some stout men find it necessary to have 
from four to eight pounds of stone in a waist-belt, to enable them to keep 
at the bottom of the sea till they have filled their net with oysters: the form 
of a diving-stone resembles a pine, and it is suspended by a double cord. 
The net is of coir-rope yarns, eighteen inches deep, fastened to a hoop 
eighteen inches wide, fairly slung to a single cord. On preparing to com- 
mence fishing, the diver divests himself of all his clothes except a small 
piece of cloth; after offering up his devotions, he plunges into the sea, and 
swims to his diving-stone, which his attendants have hung over the side of 
the boat; he then places his right foot or toes between the double cord on 
