THE PEARL FISHERY OF 1904. 5 



visit in 1902. "The absence of good landmarks in the Aripu district made the 

 inspection of this paar difficult, and I had to rely almost entirely on biological data, 

 such as the nature of the bottom and the fauna, for the verification of my jxwition. 

 Without this help I could not have arrived at any certain conclusion." 



How the Valuation Sample of Pearls is Procured. Before a fishery it is also 

 necessary to obtain samples of the oysters to be fished in order that their pearls 

 may be officially valued for purposes of advertising the fishery. Consequently, during 

 intervals in the inspection, three large samples of oysters of fishable age were 

 collected from the three western blocks of the Cheval Paar, partly by means of 

 divers and partly by the use of dredges. The results obtained showed the sample 



Fig. 2. Valuation sample of pearl oysters from the Cheval Paar, being brought on board the 

 " Rangasami Puravi," from the inspection boats from a photograph by Mr. HoRNEi.i.. 



of the South-west Cheval to be well ahead of the other two lots in the weight and 

 the number of pearls to each 1,000 oysters; the Mid-west was extremely poor in 

 both respects. The washing of the sample oysters and the sifting and subsequent 

 valuation of the pearls was carried out in the usual way, the two former processes 

 by the Government divers and munducks, the latter by three Mohammedan pearl 

 merchants ; all under the constant supervision of Mr. HORNELL, assisted by Mr. V. 

 VRASPILLAI, the able Adigar of Musali. 



" When the samples are brought into the Government Kottu, a palisaded enclosure, 

 the sacks of oysters are emptied into dug-out canoes or ' ballams,' and covered 

 carefully with mats. In this state they are left under guard for a period of from 



