30 JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [Vol. X. 



and the divers' share, being 18,000,000 oysters, gave to divers, 

 boatmen, and boat-owners a recompense of £53,000 and over. 

 The total sale value of the oysters at this series of five fisheries 

 was over £190,000. 



Then, as the expenses attending the washing of the oysters 

 for pearls are considerable, so the outturn of these must have 

 been great and very valuable indeed, and explains in a great 

 degree the increased prices given by the buyers of oysters at 

 the fisheries of 1855-60, though no doubt the more limited 

 quantities then fished, and the known character of the 

 Modaragam Paar, fished in 1859-60 for dni pearls of the 

 large kind, much influenced speculators. 



The getting of wealth by pearls from the sea, like the 

 getting of gold from the earth, has, besides hard toil and 

 anxieties, the attendant risks of sickness, as the congregation 

 of thousands too generally creates disease. Outbreaks of 

 cholera prematurely closed the pearl fisheries of 1858-59 ; 

 but for this the fishery of 1858 might have yielded £50,000 

 instead of £24,000, and that of 1859 £70,000 instead of 

 £48,000. 



At these fisheries deaths from cholera amongst the divers 

 and boatmen and people caused panic, their rapid desertion of 

 Salapatturai, and the premature closing of fishing, whilst 

 oysters were in plenty on the banks. 



In 1858, before the Establishments could be got away, cases 

 of cholera occurred amongst the troops and police, and 

 during a voyage to Colombo of twenty-four hours there were 

 five deaths. 



I have never forgotten that night's passage. Sea sickness 

 was believed to be the commencement of cholera ; the calls on 

 the medical staff were incessant, and the anxieties of all on 

 board very great ; indeed, I believe another twenty-four hours 

 of passage would have frightened many more to death. 



In 1859 the Establishments did not suffer, but before the 

 cholera outbreak I was ill with dysentery, and as I could 



