CLASS V. LAMELLIBRANCHIATA: ORDER 2. ASIPHONATA. 525 



THE PEARL-OYSTEE. 



THE PEARL-FISHERY. 



The pearl-fisheries of the Persian Gulf have been knov/n and resorted to from antiquity ; at the 

 present day the most important and extensive are near Arippo, on the western coast of Ceylon. 

 Tlie following description of these is given by the Count de Noe : 



"The pearl-oysters lie in banks at greater or less depths in the sea. These banks occur on 

 the western side of the island of Ceylon, about fifteen miles from the shore, where their average 

 depth is about twelve fathoms. The fishery always commences in April — because the sea is at 

 that time in its calmest state — and continues to the end of May. Not only are multitudes of 

 natives attracted to the coast, but crowds of speculators from all parts of India, whose various 

 language, manners, and dress are very striking and pleasing. The temporary abodes erected for 

 them are also curious and picturesque. On tlie solitary shore, a collection of almost innumerable 

 huts is at once seen to arise on the eve of the fishery. These huts are merely a few poles 

 stuck in the ground, interwoven with light bamboos, and covered with cocoa-nut leaves, yet 

 these slight habitations often shelter one hundred and fifty thousand persons. 



" The signal for beginning the fishery is given at daybreak, by the discharge of a cannon, on 

 which a countless fleet of boats, that have started from the shore at midnight, and, favored by a 

 land breeze, have reached the banks before dawn, cast anchor on certain prescribed parts of the 

 banks and proceed to work. Government vessels are on the spot, to prevent any boat from 

 fishing beyond its proper limits. The boats of the fishers generally carry a captain, a pilot, and 

 twenty men, ten of whom are experienced divers. The ten divers are divided into two companies 

 of five each, and these companies plunge and relieve each other by turns. 



"That they may descend through the water with greater rapidity to the bank round which 

 the oysters are clustered, the divers place their feet on a stone attached to the end of a rope, the 

 other end of which is made fast to the boat. They carry with them another rope, the extremity 

 of which is held by two men in the boat, while to the lower part, that descends with the diver, 

 there is fastened a net or basket. Besides these, every diver is furnished with a strong knife to 

 detach the oysters, or serve as a defensive weapon in case he should be attacked by a shark. As 

 soon as they touch, they gather the oysters with all possible speed, and having filled their net 

 or basket, they quit their hold of the rope with the stone, pull that which is held by the sailors 

 in the boat, and rapidly ascend to the surface of the sea. 



" The marvelous stories that are told of the length of time that these divers can remain 

 under water have no foundation in truth.* All the evidence that can be depended upon 



I * On this subject there is strange contradiction. Captain Percival says that the divers usually remain under water 

 I two minutes, that they make forty to fifty plunges a day, and that instances have been known of divers who could 

 I remain below four, five, and even six minutes. 



