An Account of the Pearl Fifbery at Ceylon. 343 
as faft as poflible during the time he finds himfelf able to 
remain under water, which ufually is about two minutes. 
He then refumes his former pofture, and making afignal, by 
pulling the cords, he is immediately lifted into the boat. On 
emerging from the fea, he difcharges a quantity of water from 
his mouth and nofe, and thofe who have not been long enured 
to diving frequently difcharge fome blood; but this does not 
prevent them from diving again in their turn. When the 
firft five divers come up, and are refpiring, the other five are 
going down with the fame ftones. Each brings up about 
one hundred oyfters in his net, and, if not interrupted by any 
accident, may make fifty trips in a forenoon. They and the 
boat’s crew get generally from the owner, inftead of money, 
a fourth of the quantity which they bring on fhore; but fome 
are paid in cafh, according to agreement. 
The mott fkilful divers come from Coilith, on the coaft of 
Malabar ; fome of them are fo much exercifed in the art, as to 
be able to perform it without the affiftance of the ufual weight, 
and for a handfome reward will remain under water for the 
fpace of feven minutes: this I faw performed by a Caftry 
boy, belonging to a citizen at Karical, who had often fre- 
quented the fitheries of thefe banks. Though Dr. Halley 
deems this impoffible, daily experience convinces us, that, 
by long practice, any man may bring himfelf to remain under 
water above a couple of minutes. How much the inhabit- 
ants of the South Sea Iflands diftinguith themfelves in diving 
we learn from feveral, accounts; and who will aot be fur- 
prifed at the wonderful Sicilian diver Nicholas, furiiamed the 
Fith *? 
_ Every one of the divers, and even the moft. expert, enter- 
tain a great dread of the fharks, and will not, on any ac- 
count, defcend until the conjurer has performed his cere- 
monies. This prejudice is fo deeply rooted in their minds, 
that the government was obliged to keep two fuch conjurers 
* According to Kircher, he fell a vitim amongt the Polypes in the 
‘guiph of Chirybdis, on his plunging, for the fecond time, in its dax- 
gerous whirlpool, -both to fatisfy the curiofity of his king, Frederic, and 
his inclination for wealth. I will not pretend to determine how far this 
account has been exaggerated, 
always 
