PEARL FISHERY. 



nominations, suited to the nature of tht 

 ground where they are situated, and from 

 the appearance of zoophytes adhering to 

 the external surface of their shells. They 

 resemble a cockle in shape, which is an 

 imperfect oval, and their circumference 

 is generally about nine inches and a half, 

 having 1 a segment as it were cut off where 

 the joint of the two shells occurs. The 

 interior of those is far more brilliant and 

 beautiful than the pearl they enclose, and 

 the outside is smooth, except when in- 

 jured by the usurpations of sponges, co- 

 rals, and other marine productions. The 

 flesh of the animal is white, and of a 

 glutinous consistency. 



Perhaps no class of animated nature un- 

 dergoes more unmerited persecution and 

 destruction than the pearl-oyster ; when 

 situated in their native regions, they af- 

 ford a foundation for the habitations of 

 other animals, and millions of them are 

 dragged from their banks, and thrown 

 u\vay, for what they are vainly supposed 

 to contain, and that an intruder or a dis- 

 ease. One of the banks at Ceylon fur- 

 nishes oysters to which zoophytes are at- 

 tached, apparently belonging to the class 

 of sponges, and those generally resemble 

 a funnel or cup, and grow to a size 

 that completely overshadows the oyster : 

 others of different banks have a substance 

 adhering to them tinged with red. The 

 above are found to contain the finest 

 pearls : some escape free from incum- 

 brance, and thousands are compelled to 

 bear trees of coral on them of five times 

 their own weight. 



The oyster is fastened to the rocks at 

 the bottom of the sea by quantities of 

 hairy fibres. By this means they are not 

 readily swept from their original station, 

 and yet possess the advantage of being 

 conveyed to some distance from it by the 

 motion of the water; besides, they are 

 connected to each other in the same man- 

 ner. It frequently happens that an old 

 oyster, surrounded by young 1 ones, is 

 brought up by the divers, and the latter 

 have been ascertained to possess, even 

 when little larger than a grain of sand, 

 the power of moving themselves by the 

 extension and contraction of what is term- 

 ed the beard. The violence of the waves 

 at the time of the monsoons occasions 

 great changes in the state of the banks, 

 when incredible numbers of them are 

 buried by the shifting of sand, and that is 

 sometimes removed by the same power 

 acting in a contrary direction. 



It is supposed, from many concurring 1 

 -circumstances, that the pearl-oyster ar- 



rives at maturity at the close of seven 

 years : after this period it is imagined 

 that it dies, when the body decaying- is 

 washed away by the sea : a bed was dis- 

 covered a few years since composed al- 

 most wholly of empty shells. The pre- 

 cious substance, which invites the exer- 

 tions of man to obtain it, has been gene- 

 rally supposed to be a disease peculiar to 

 the animal ; but were this the fact, it is 

 extremely prevalent amongst this de- 

 scription of oysters, as every individual of 

 the species is found to be accompanied by 

 a certain proportion of minute particles, 

 which are evidently the pearl in the first 

 stages of formation ; hence it may be fair- 

 ly supposed, that they are in some essen- 

 tial degree useful, rather than prejudicial 

 to the inhabitant of the shells, of the na- 

 ture of which it decidedly partakes, and 

 is composed of a number of layers, move- 

 able by a skilful person to the improve- 

 ment of the pearl, as it sometimes hap* 

 pens the exterior coat only may be dis- 

 coloured or injured. When the pearl is 

 in a state of perfection, they are of a bril- 

 liant white, some have been found of a 

 beautiful tint of pink, of the colour of 

 gold, and a few entirely black. These 

 variations are, however, very uncommon. 



The pearls are discovered near the an- 

 gles of the shell, and close to the hinge, 

 where the animal is most thick and fleshy; 

 they are generally numerous, and in some 

 instances 150 have been taken from one 

 oyster ; on the other hand, an hundred 

 oysters have been opened whence a pearl 

 could not be extracted fit for any purpose 

 whatever. Attempts were made some 

 years past to transplant this species of 

 oysters, but without success, as they in- 

 variably died during their transportation: 



The first step previously to a fishery 

 is the examination of the banks, which 

 takes place at the end of October, during 

 the short interval of fine weather usual 

 between the close of the south-west mon- 

 soon and the commencement of the north- 

 east. One pilot, two divers, and eight or 

 more sailors, to each boat, are employed 

 upon this service, and there are general- 

 ly nine boats. The superintendant on the 

 part of government accompanies the 

 principal arripanaar, or pilot, who is 

 taught his profession from his infancy, 

 inheriting it from his father, in the man- 

 ner of most occupations in the East. The 

 boats visit the banks in a body, and the 

 divers frequently descending, ascertain 

 its exact position, and at the same time 

 bring up a thousand or more oysters as 

 specimens, which are examined by per- 



