186 



MANUFACTURE OF BANGLES FROM THE CHANK-SHELL. 



nate ; apex mamillated ; beak long, striated ; columella, with four fo Ids ; 

 attains "a length of about six to nine inches. 



Chank Shell (Turbitiella pyrum). 



The fishery for these shells is principally carried on in the Gulf of 

 Manaar, in the vicinity of Ceylon, and on the coast of Coromandel, at 

 Travancore, Tuticorin, and other places, the shells being fished up by Divers 

 in about two or three fathoms of water. Those taken with the fish, and 

 called green chanks, from having the epidermis on, are most in demand. The 

 white chank, or the dead shell thrown upon the beach by strong tides, 

 having lost its enamel, is scarcely worth the freight to Calcutta. 



The number obtained varies considerably, according to the weather, and 

 the sticeess attending the fishing. In 1854, 1,875,053 were imported into 

 Madras from Ceylon ; in 1857, only 173,200 shells; in 1858,1,268,892; and 

 in 1859, 1,910,050 shells. A few hundreds are occasionally imported into 

 Calcutta, from the Arabian and Persian Gulfs. The Chank fishery off 

 Ceylon, at one time employed 600 divers, and yielded a revenue to the 

 island government of 4,000£. pei annum for licenses. The fishery is now 

 free. Sometimes four and a half million of Chank shells are obtained in 

 a year, in the Gulf of Manaar, valued at upwards of 10,000?. 



The following figures gives the exports from Ceylon for six years ; Chank 

 shells are not specified in later official returns. 





Number 



Declared value 

 £ 



1850 



591,616 



1,073 



1851 



2,016,290 



3,053 



1852 



2,762,445 



4,793 



1853 



4,343,411 and 8| cwt. 



9,961 



1854 



2,164,683 and 7 packages 



4,271 



1855 



843,220 and 1 bag 



1,667 



These shells are often used as oil vessels in Indian temples, for which 

 purpose they are carved and otherwise ornamented. When the volute 

 turns to the right, the shell is held in peculiar estimation, a right-handed 

 chank being so highly prized from its rarity, as sometimes to sell in Cal- 

 cutta for its weight in gold, or at from 40Z. to 501. In Ceylon, also, the 



