Ceylon Pearl Fisheries. 197 



frequent surveys, and at proper periods he employed 

 for temporary purposes certain divers, who brought 

 up samples of the oysters. These oysters were 

 carefully washed, and the Pearls found were cata- 

 logued, so as to arrive at an average result in 

 preparing for a more extensive fishery. In the year 

 1879, such a preliminary fishery had been attempted, 

 and in consequence of the general good average of 

 the yield of Pearls, the Ceylon Government decided 

 to organize the following year a much more 

 extensive fishery, so as to embrace a large number of 

 of previously explored banks, which had been 

 reported as having yielded a high per-centage of 

 fine Pearls. 



The usual notices were circulated throughout 

 Ceylon and India, and created considerable excite- 

 ment amongst the natives, as for many years the 

 fisheries had yielded such poor results that Pearls 

 were becoming exceedingly scarce, as indeed they 

 still are. 



Previously to this fishery, no European had 

 ever ventured upon the speculation of buying oysters 

 on a large scale ; although for many years, as each 

 successive fishery had been conducted by the govern- 

 ment, a few Europeans, such as the military ofificers 

 and merchants of Ceylon, had speculated in a small 

 number of oysters, to the extent of £2 or ;^3, just 



