PEARL FISHERY AT CEYLON. 4 nl 



in Tamul, koolv hirer, the reft of the crew confifts of 

 a tandel, or head boatman, and ten rowers, who 

 afiift in lifting up the divers and their ihells. 



The diving itone is a piece of coarfe granite, a foot 

 long, fix inches thick, and of a pyramidical fhape, 

 rounded at the top and bottom. A large hair rope is 

 put through a hole in the top. Some of the divers 

 ufe another kind of Itone fhaped like a half nioon, to 

 bind round their belly, fo that their feet may be free. 

 At prefent thefe are articles of trade at Condatcliey. 

 The moft common, or pyramidical fione, generally 

 weighs about thirty pounds. If a boat has more than 

 five of them, the crew are either corporally punifhed 

 or ImQd. 



The diving, botli at Ceylon and at Tutucorin, is not 

 attended with fo many difficulties as authors imagine. 

 The divers, confiiTing of different calls and religions, 

 (though chiefly of Parrawtr* and Miiffelmatis 9 ) nei~ 

 ther make their bodies ifnooth with oil, nor do they 

 ftop their ears, mouths, or nofes with any thing, to 

 prevent, the entrandfc ot' fait water. They are ignorant 

 of the utility of divimr bells, bladders, and double 

 flexible pipes. According to the injunclions of the 

 fhark conjurer they ui'c no food while at work, nor 

 till they return on more, and have bathed themfelves 

 in frefh water. Thefe Indians, accuitomcd to dive 

 from their earlicft infancy, fearleiily defcend to trie 

 bottom in a depth of, from five to ten fathoms in 

 fearch of treafures. Bv two cords a diving itone and 

 a net arc connected with the boat. r l ne diver putting 

 the toes of his right foot on the hair rope of the diving 

 itone, and thofe of his left on the net, ieizes the two 

 cords with one hand, and fhuttinc: his noflrils with the 

 other, plunges into the water. On reaching the bot- 



* 



Fifhermen of the Catholic religion 



o 



torn, 



