PEARL FISHERY AT CEYLON. 3Q9 



dipping the little finger of the fame hand into the 

 wafer of the cocoa nut fhell, with a dexterity that can 

 only be attained by conftant practice. 



Amongft the crowd are found vagabonds of every 

 defer iption, fuch as Pandarams, Andee, or Hindu 

 monks, fakirs, beggars, and the like, who are imper- 

 tinently troublefome. Two of thefe wretches particu- 

 larly attracted the attention of the mob, though their 

 fuperftitious penance mult have difgufted a man of 

 the leai! reflection : one had a gridiron, of one and a 

 half foot long and the fame in breadth, fattened round 

 his neck, with which he always walked about, nor 

 did he take it off either when eating or fleeping ; the 

 other had fattened round that member, which de- 

 cency forbids me to mention, a brafs ring, and 

 fixed to it was a chain, of a fathom in length, trailing 

 on the ground, the links of this chain were as thick as 

 a man's finger, and the wh'ole was exhibited in a molt 

 fcandalous manner. 



The peftilential fmell occafioned by the numbers of 

 putrifying pearl fifties, renders the atmofphere ot 

 Corulaichev lb infufterably offenfive when the fouth- 

 weft wind blows, that it ienfibly affects the olfactory 

 nerves of any one unaecuttomed to fuch cadaverous 

 fmells. This putrefaction generates immenfe num- 

 bers of worms, flies, muikitoes, and other vermin ; 

 all together forming a fcene itrongly difplealing to the 

 fenfes. 



Thofe who are not provided with a fufficient ttock 

 of money fuifer great hardfhips. as not only all kinds 

 of provisions are very dear, but even every drop of 

 good water mutt be paid for. Thofe who drink the 

 brackifh water of this place are often attacked by lick- 

 nefs. It may eafily be conceived what an effect the 

 extreme heat of the day, the cold of the night, the 

 heavy dews, and the putrid fmell, mult have on weak 

 constitutions. It is, therefore, n? wonder that of 



Bb t thofe 



