184 Br. Heifer's Fourth Report [No. 98. 



sally relished condiment and ingredient of the native dishes. 

 It must be remarked that whales are not uncommon intheMeimii 

 archipelago. There are pearl banks to the south of Mergui ; 

 two were worked once at the time of the Siamese occupation; 

 one situated on the east side of Sullivan's Island, the other on 

 the east side of Collie (?) Island, stretching across to the main. 

 This occupation is said to have formed a considerable source 

 of revenue to the government. 



Once an attempt was made by Mr. Maingy, the commissioner, 

 to revive the pearl fishery, but it was given up for want of divers 

 accustomed to dive to great depths, the best pearl shell-fish 

 being found at the depth of ten or twelve fathoms. This source 

 of revenue lies entirely dormant at present. The natives are 

 ignorant of the necessary proceedings. 



Sometimes pearls of a middling quality are found by the 

 Seelongs in the indicated localities at low water, and these bar- 

 tered to the Chinese who traffic with the remnants of that race. 

 How far it would be remunerating to men of capital to en- 

 gage in this pursuit, can of course not be said at present, as 

 even the extent of the pearl banks is not known, as well as the 

 quantity obtainable from shell-fish attached to rocks at a greater 

 depth. 



The edible birds' nest caves form a not inconsiderable source 

 of revenue to the provinces in the southern parts of the Tenas- 

 serim Provinces. 



They are at present farmed out to Chinese and Malays ; those 

 in the Mergui archipelago are again farmed out to other Malays, 

 who come from Penang during the dry season to watch the 

 caves, and to build and repair the frameworks necessary for col- 

 lecting the birds' nests attached in the sombre caves, on the 

 most lofty, dangerous, and inaccessible parts. This branch of 

 occupation it seems does not suit Europeans, and will probably 

 remain for ever in the hands of Chinese and Malays. Irregu- 

 larities will occur as long as the localities which the swallows 

 frequent are not ascertained, which is the more difficult as these 

 birds change their abodes ; so that many caves (such for instance 

 in the Elephant rocks to the SE. of Domel) are now almost 

 entirely deserted. 



