14 



" colander No. 1. all but the very finest pearls fell through into No. 2, and most of them 

 •• passed into Nos. 3, 4 and 5; whilst the smallest of all, the seeds were strained off 

 • : into the receptacle at the bottom. "When all had staid in their proper colanders, they 

 •• were classified and valued accordingly. The largest, or those of the first class, were 

 " the most valuable, and it is expressly stated in the letter from which this informa- 

 u tion is extracted that the value of any given pearl was appraised almost exclusively 

 •• with reference to its size, and was held to be affected but little by its shape and 

 •• lustre. The valuation over, the Dutch generally bought the finest pearls. Thev 

 " considered that they had a right of pre-emption. At the same time they did not 

 " compel individuals to sell, if unwilling. All the pearls taken on the first day 

 " belonged by express reservation to the King or to the Setupati according as the 

 ' : place of their taking lay off the coasts of the one or the other. The Dutch did not as 

 iC was often asserted, claim the pearls taken on the second day. They had other and 

 " more certain modes of making profit, of which the very best was to bring plenty of 

 " cash into a market where cash was not very plentiful, and so enable themselves to 

 " purchase at very easy prices. The amount of oysters found in different years varied 

 " infinitely. Some years the divers had only to pick up as fast as they were able, 

 " and as long as they could keep under water ; in others they could only find a few 

 " here and there. In 1700 the testing was most encouraging, and an unusually large 

 "number of boat-owners took out licenses to fish ; but the season proved most dis- 

 " astrous. Only a few thousands were taken on the first day by all the divers together, 

 " and a day or two afterwards not a single oyster could be found. It was supposed 

 "by many that strong under-currents had suddenly set in owing to some unknown 

 " cause. Whatever the cause the results of the failure were most ruinous. Several 

 (i merchants had advanced large sums of money to the boat-owners on speculation, 

 " which were, of course, lost. The boat- owners had in like manner advanced money 

 " to the divers and others, and they also lost their money." * 



The fishery of 1708 appears the next that was held, and one that gave a satis- 

 factory return. At this fishery 398 free stones were allowed as follows : — 



" List of free stones according to ancient customs. 



96§ to the Naick of Madura — 4 Xtian, 921 Moorish 

 60 to Theuver — 60 Moorish. 



10 to Head Moorman of Cailpatnam — 5 Xtian, 5 Moorish. 

 185 to the Pattangatyns of this coast — all Xtian stones. 

 30 to those of Mannar. 

 13 to those of Jaffnapatam. 

 3| lost by 4 Moors who died in the fishery. 



398 Stones free, valued at Pards (Pardaos) .... 3,591." 



The 185 stones given to the Pattangatyns or headmen of the Parawas was in the 

 nature of remuneration to these men for assistance in inspecting the banks, in 

 guarding any oyster banks discovered, in recruiting divers and in superintending 

 operations during the course of the fishery. All these stones are specifically termed 

 " Christian stones ", meaning that the divers using them were Christians (Parawas), 

 whereas those allowed to the Nayak and Teuver (Setupati of Eamnad) were all 

 Moorish, save for four Christians. The explanation of this division is that the two 

 great Muhammadan settlements, Kayalpattanam and Kilakarai were situated respect- 

 ively in the territories of the Nayak and the Setupati, whereas the sovereignty over 

 the Christian Parawas was vested expressly, first in the Portuguese and then by 

 conquest in the Dutch. f 



* Thurston, E. " Pearl and Chank Fisheries of the Gulf of Mannar ", Madras Museum Bulletin, No. 1, page 9, 

 Madras, 1894. 



t The employment of native headmen in the examination of the Pearl banks and in the management of fisheries and 

 their remuneration by the grant of similar privileges to the above was continued by the Ceylon GoTernment up to 1863 . 

 Latterly there were but five employed, namely the Adigar of Mannar, the Maniagar of Karaiyur, two Adapannars and a 

 Pattankoddi. The remuneration was five stones (the equivalent of one boat) to the Adigar, two to the Maniagar and one 

 apiece to the other headmen. Sir William Twynam 'Eeport on the Ceylon Pearl Fisheries, 1900) states that they 

 generally sold their privileges at the beginning of a fishery. The Adigar of Mannar had the last privilege in 1803. 

 ■Regarding the quality of the assistance they rendered Sir William Twynam remarks " I found them highly intelligent 

 ana well-informed men, well acquainted with the Pearl banks and matters connected with the fisheries, i hey helped 

 Mr. Vane and Captain Pritchard to carry on the fisheries in 1855, 1856, 1857, 1858, 1859 and 1860 and the Adigar of 

 Mannar rendered me very valuable service during the fishery of 1S63." With this favourable estimate I heartily coin- 

 cide both in regard to the present Adigar of Musali and the present representatives of the fishing and diving communities 

 on the Indian coast ; a tactful and sympathetic attitude and the avoidance of any act or speech likely to arouse their 

 prejudices soon win their confidence and in the present condition of the management of the Indian Bank the aasistano* 

 the^ can tender is not in any way to be despised. 



