NAUTICAL NOTES. 249 



No. 21. 



NAUTICAL NOTES AND OBSERYATIONS ON THE CEYLON 

 PEAEL BANKS UNDEE LEASE. 



By Lieut. J. C. KERKHAM, R.N.R. 



Superintendent of Fisheries. 



I. — Inteoductory Remarks. 



It has beeu my privilege since taking up duties as Superintendent of Fisheries to the Ceylon 

 Company of Pearl Fishers, Limited, to participate in the carrying on of a work which lias been intensely 

 interesting, very unique, and whoUy novel to me, and which promises to continue to be very fascinatiag ; 

 for although at present there is no promise of a fishery, still one has only to turn to the past history 

 of the banks to see that Nature, though heavily taxed by rapacious men, has always made good such 

 ravages, and also those of the oyster's natural enemies, by huge deposits of spat from outside sources. 

 One may therefore look forward hopefuUy to the near future for a plenteous supply of spat in such 

 quantities as to defeat all the efforts of predatory fish and other enemies of the pearl oyster, and which 

 will remain in such numbers on the banks as to ensure future fisheries. 



My duties, other than the actual inspection work carried on by skin and dress divers and general 

 supervision, has been to co-ordinate all the nautical data up to date, to add what I have been able to 

 collect during the last two seasons, and incorporate same in a new chart. A prehminary chart was drawn 

 up at the end of the last season, i.e., April, 1909. Another chart with further data is now completed ; 

 a good deal of fresh data has been obtained. Some considerable inaccuracies have been found referring 

 to the positions and contours of the coral reefs, particularly those outside Dutch Bay. 



2. — Notes on Anchorages, &c. 

 Dutch Bay. — The survey of Dutch Bay was carried out during October, 1908. It is the only 

 land-locked anchorage on the area leased by the Company. The bay, if such it can be called, is one of 

 the entrances to the extensive backwater which extends as far south as Oodoopekeret, 10 miles north 

 of Chilaw, and affords small native craft safe and navigable waters sheltered from both monsoons, and 

 is the natural highway for a considerable coastal trade. The only anchorage available in Dutch Bay for 

 even hght draught sea-going vessels lays immediately east of a sandy extension of Mutwal island 

 called Dutch Bay Land, on which tliere are two conspicuous coconut topes, which form useful landmarks 

 as far north as Karativu beacon and south to Tallaivillu Point. A beacon has been erected bj' the 

 Company on Dutch Bay Land 1 mile north of the northern tope, which forms an additional landmark, 

 and marks the southern extremity of the Company's area. 



The Company's attention was drawn to Dutch Bay, as it is the only protected area which appeared 

 available for forming nurseries for oyster cultui'e. Consequently, with that object in view, the bay was 

 surveyed and an area selected, whicli, although far from offering what was desirable, was the best to 

 be fomid there, having regard to depth of water, nature of bottom, and protection from the south-west 

 monsoon. The area was marked off and cultched. On examination six months later the cultch was 

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