Vol. XI, Nos. 5 & 6.) Pearl Fishery in Palk Bay. 155 
[N.8.] 
sum had it been of good colour. Seed pearls (Tul) were con- 
t 
uantity in the Karangadu sample. The expe- 
rience at the subsequent fishery showed that the bulk of the 
oysters in the two beds were represented fairly by the 
samples obtained. It is therefore established that the Tondi 
oyste 
ability largely counterbalanced the occurrence of a sm 
parable with that given by average quality pearl oysters from 
eds, 
Soon after the fishery commenced it became apparent that 
t e 
temunerative fishing to the local divers, whose methods lack 
system and who can never be persuaded to fish regularly and 
perseveringly. They desire to fish only the rich patches; in 
consequence, the great bulk of the bank remained practically. 
nished at the end of the season, and what might have been a 
highly remunerative fishery, had it been possible to foresee all 
the difficulties and provide special methods, has proved, in 
spite of much anxious effort on the part of the officers con- 
cerned, of comparatively little financial profit to Government, 
though , by the prosperity it brought to the fishing population 
g began, in accordance with the public notification, 
a 
whe Government share of oysters fished was 315,998 from 
Tondi bank and 39,613 from the Karangadu bank. Adding 
~ysters fished amounted to 533,416. The highest price obtained 
t the oysters in auction was Rs. 125 per 1000 obtained for 
4 Small Jot on 
The 15 per 1000 for 35,247 oysters fished on 29th August. 
e 
py} sults were much inferior to expectations. Inspection in 
April showed 20,500,000 oysters to be available for fishing ; 
tions were made accordingly on a scale appropriate to a 
