THE PEARL FISHERY* OF 1904. 



17 



business in the street at little three-legged wooden work-tables and with simple bow- 

 drills, by means of which they pierce the pearls for stringing. All these workers 

 who have some definite connection with the fishery or the pearl require others to 



Fig. 8. Pearl merchants. From a photograph liy Mr. HoitNKi.i,. 



supply them with the necessaries and the luxuries of life, and so is brought together 

 the large heterogeneous population. But as soon as the fishery closes the whole 

 town appears to dissolve in a day, the people separate in all directions as rapidly as 

 they gathered, and Marichchukaddi is again a solitary sandy waste. 



THE OYSTER DREDGING EXPERIMENT. 



At the 1904 fishery, amongst other new departures, some of which have already 

 been noted, oyster dredging from a steamer was tried for the first time with a view 

 to supplement the work of native divers. 



The experiment was, however, carried on with imperfect apparatus and under 

 difficulties which will certainly disappear as further experience is gained. The 

 steamer " Ready," engaged for this work during the greater part of the fishery, was 

 found to be unsuitable in several particulars, and Mr. HOUNELL has made a number 

 of recommendations in regard to the deck fittings and gear, which will lead to greater 

 efficiency and economy of time by working a larger number of dredges simultaneously. 



Mr. HORNELL has kept an exact record of the dredging results day by day, which, 

 however, considering the imperfect nature of the experiment 011 this first occasion, 



D 



