114 , SEPARATION FROM THE OYSTER. 



he sinks rapidly below the surface. As soon as he reaches 

 the bottom, the stone is drawn up, and the diver, throwing 

 himself on his face, collects into his bag as many oysters a& 

 he can. This, on a signal, is hauled to the surface, the diver 

 springing to the rope as it is drawn up. The sea, at the 

 oyster-beds, is generally from twenty-four to sixty feet deep. 

 The number of oysters thus collected varies; sometimes 

 several thousand are obtained in one day, and at other times 

 a few hundred only. The oysters are landed from the boats^ 

 and are placed underground to putrify, and it is amidst such 

 a mass of corruption that the pearl, 



* Purest of Nature's works/* 

 is obtained. 



The pearl-fishers in ancient times used to place the shells 

 in vessels filled with salt, and leave them until all the fish 

 were dissolved, the gems remaining at the bottom. The or- 

 dinary operation now is, that as soon as putrification is suf- 

 ficiently advanced, the oysters are placed in a trough, and 

 sea-water is thrown over them. They are then shaken and 

 washed. Inspectors stand at each end of the trough, to see 

 that the laborers secrete none of the pearls, and others are 

 in the rear to examine the shells thown out. The workmen 

 are not allowed to raise their hands to their mouths while 

 washing the pearls, lest they might attempt to swallow some. 

 Sometimes the pearls, instead of adhering to the shells as is 

 usually the case, are in the bodies of the oysters, which are 

 boiled before being thrown aside as useless. The number 

 of pearls in a shell differs : one may contain a considerable 

 number, while hundreds are without any. 



To give an idea of the extent to which the pearl fishery 

 in Ceylon has been carried for several ages, the shore in 

 some parts of the island has been raised to the height of 

 many feet by enormous mounds of shells, millions having 

 been flung into heaps that extend to the distance of many 

 miles. 



