No. 34.— 1887.] PEABL FISHERIES OF CEYLON. 



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revenues to the Kandyan kings and the Dutch and the 

 English Governments. There is no record that the Portuguese, 

 during their occupancy in the sixteenth and seventeenth 

 centuries, fished the pearl banks, though the Dutch did so 

 as far back as 1667, and with intervals up to 1768. 



In 1796 a series of fisheries commenced under the English 

 Government, continuing with intervals of one and two years to 

 1809 ; then 1814, 1816, 1820, 1828, 1833, 1835, and 1837 ; then, 

 after a lapse of eighteen years, another series from 1855 to 

 I860, yielding in forty-four years over a million of revenue ; 

 and fisheries have continued at intervals up to 1881, giving 

 large revenues. 



I refer myself to the series for 1855-1860, because I was 

 connected therewith, and as Superintendent had to conduct 

 them under difficulties connected with the determination of 

 the Government not again to rent the right of fishing for a 

 sum of money, or to allow the claim, as the renters had, of 

 the Hindu temples of the Madras Presidency to fish on 

 their own account. 



The renting system and Temple claims had given much 

 trouble at former fisheries so conducted, and led to abuses 

 of the rights of the divers and boatmen (also, as believed, 

 to the over-fishing of the banks), had interfered with a 

 knowledge of the resources of each bank, and the real out- 

 turn of each fishery, and had prevented the public at large 

 from speculating, as well as the renting clique. 



The decision of Government to fish the banks, and to sell 

 the oysters daily by public auction, led in 1857 to strongly- 

 formed combinations on the part of the Chetties, the former 

 renting class, to prevent legitimate sales at public auction, 

 and so to force on again the renting system. 



To such an extent did they carry proceedings, that I had 

 to assume the serious responsibility of closing the fishery ; 

 but the issue of notices to this effect, and for vessels to remove 

 the establishments, broke up the league, as the Chetties had 

 no wish to lose the chance of making some money if they 

 could not make all they desired. 



48—88 G 



