HORNELL MARINE RESOURCE 25 



this latter use was employed also in the Portuguese possessions along the west coast of 

 India, but at the present day the Indian fishery in the creeks of Sincl and that near 

 Trincomalee in Ceylon are pursued solely for the pearls produced. The comparatively 

 poor quality of these is gauged by the recognised standard market value, Rs. 15 per 

 tola, which prevails both in Sind and Ceylon. Although the object of a recognised 

 pearl fishery in Sind since 1837, when beds of window-pane oysters were fished for the 

 first time by the Mirs of Sind, no official knowledge either of the pearl value of these 

 shells or indeed of their existence in the Okhamandal district seems to have existed 

 prior to the recent investigation. My attention was first drawn to the probability of 

 their presence by seeing a large shell in a natural history collection at the Public 

 Library in Beyt. Subsequently large numbers of well-grown living individuals were 

 found towards low-water level in Balapur Bay, while later, quantities of brood and 

 of half-grown shells were obtained by the dredge and by divers from shallow water, one 

 to one and a half fathoms, in Rann Bay, a wide muddy indentation in the coast- 

 line at the north end of the Okha Rann. Enough was seen to demonstrate the presence 

 of well-stocked beds both in Balapur and Rann Bays. Dissection shows that mature 

 individuals contain pearls in average abundance, so we are fully justified in believing 

 that in some years sufficiently large beds of these oysters arrive at maturity to provide a 

 remunerative fishery if there be present the means for carrying one on. Herein lies the 

 crux ; either oyster dredges specially adapted for work over soft mud must be employed, 

 necessitating, too, the use of a shallow draught steam-launch or, preferably, a motor-boat, 

 or a supply of divers accustomed to diving in shallow water must be obtained. In 

 some respects the latter plan has considerable advantages there is no initial capital 

 expenditure, no heavy costs in upkeep during periods when the boats and gear be 

 not employed, whereas if some of the villagers on the coast could be induced to 

 practise diving they would add to their means of livelihood, be of inestimable service in 

 the fishing of these window-pane oysters when required, and be available for any 

 under-water work, such as the cleaning of ships' bottoms and the recovery of coal lost 

 overboard, should Beyt ever become an important seaport, as Nature surely 

 intended it to be. 



In such shallow water as that of Balapur and Rann Bays, diving in the warm 

 days from June to August should be an art easily taught to the lads of the shore 

 villages. If Government encouragement were to be given by the offer of a few prizes 

 to those who attain a certain proficiency, or by other means which the local officials 

 may adjudge desirable, the hardier and more enterprising lads might be induced to 

 give more thought to the sea as a life-calling than they do at present. Such lads, if 

 they can be taught diving and swimming, would eventually furnish the personnel 

 necessary should sea-fishing ever be developed to a considerable extent on the Okha 

 coast. Of this more will be said in the following section. 



In neighbouring Sind, the window-pane oyster industry has had a chequered 



