THE INDIAN OCEAN. 349 



" TheiC is, perhaps, no spectacle," says Captain 

 Percival, "which the Island of Ceylon affords more 

 striking to an European than the bay of Condatchy 

 during tlie season of the pearl-hshery. This desert 

 and barren spot is at that time converted into a 

 scene which exceeds in novelty and variety almost 

 anything I ever witnessed ; several thousands of 

 people of different colours, countries, castes, and 

 occupations, continually passing and repassing in a 

 busy crowd ; the vast nunbers of small tents and 

 huts erected on the shore, with the bazaar or market- 

 place before each ; the multitude of boats returning 

 in the afternoon from the pearl banks, some of them 

 laden with riches ; the anxious expecting counte- 

 nances of the boat-owners, while the boats are 

 approaching the shore, and the eagerness and avidity 

 with which they run to them when arrived, in hopes 

 of a rich cargo ; the vast numbers of jewellers, 

 brokers, merchants, of all colours and all descriptions, 

 both natives and foreigners, who are occupied in some 

 way or other with the pearls, some separating and 

 assorting them, others weighing and ascertaining 

 their number and value, while others are hawking 

 them about, or drilling and boring them for future 

 use ; — all these circumstances tend to impress the 

 mind with the value and importance of that object 

 which can of itself create this scene."* 



The actual fishery begins in February and con- 

 tinues during sLx weeks, or at most two months. 

 The boats being prepared, cacli carrying twelve or 

 fourteen hands and ten divers, leave the shore at 



* Percival's Ceylon, p. 59. 



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