XIV. 



labours, a chapter is introduced on " Pearling Life 

 at the Present Day." It may here be mentioned 

 that an important improvement in recent fishing, is the 

 use of the diving dress ; and as the fishers have to go 

 deeper in search of shell, — the waters becoming 

 cooler — the employment of the dress must become 

 more and more extended. 



Although the Pearls and Pearl-shell of the 

 Sooloo seas and the Australian waters have of late 

 years taken a most important place in commerce, 

 the older fisheries have by no means been neglected 

 in this volume. The fisheries off Ceylon, which 

 have been worked more or less interruptedly from 

 time immemorial, are fully described ; and it is 

 hoped that the experience of my agent at the 

 last great Ceylon fishery, will add freshness and 

 life to this chapter. The ancient fisheries in 

 the Persian Gulf and in the Red Sea, are next 

 noticed, and attention is then directed to the 

 American fisheries. I expected to receive some ori- 

 ginal information respecting the Mexican and Panama 

 fisheries, and the publication of the work has been 

 consequently delayed, but it is hoped that the anti- 

 cipated information may be available if a second 

 edition should be called for. 



Fresh- Abater Pearls, though of far less importance 

 than marine Pearls, claim a chapter to themselves, 



