Chap. XL] 
SHABK-CHARMER. 
379 
be a Koman Catholic. At the time of our visit this 
mysterious functionary was ill and unable to attend ; but 
he sent an accredited substitute, who assured me that 
although he himself was ignorant of the grand and 
mystic secret, the mere fact of his presence, as a repre- 
sentative of the higher authority, would be recognised 
and respected by the sharks. 
Strange to say, though the Grulf of Manaar abounds 
with these hideous creatures, not more than one well 
authenticated accident 1 is known to have occurred from 
this source during any pearl fishery since the British 
have had possession of Ceylon. In all probability the 
reason is that the sharks are alarmed by the unusual 
number of boats, the multitude of divers, the noise of 
the crews, the incessant plunging of the sinking stones, 
and the descent and ascent of the baskets filled with 
shells. The dark colour of the divers themselves may 
also be a protection ; whiter skins might not experience 
an equal impunity. Massoudi relates that the divers of 
the Persian Grulf were so conscious of this advantage of 
colour, that they were accustomed to blacken their limbs, 
in order to baffle the sea monsters. 2 
The result of our examination of the pearl banks, on 
this occasion, was such as to discourage the hope of an 
early fishery. The oysters in point of number were 
abundant, but in size they were little more than £i spat," 
the largest being barely a fourth of an inch in diameter. 
As at least seven years are required to furnish the 
growth at which pearls may be sought with advantage 3 , 
1 Cobdinbk's Ceylon, vol. ii, p. marins, que, sans cela, seraient 
52. tentes de les devorer," — Moroudj- 
2 _"Ils s'enduisaient les pieds et al-Dzeheb, Reinaud, Mem. sitr 
les jarnbes d'une substance noiratre, l'Inde,-p. 228. 
afin de faire peur aux monstres 3 Along with this two plates are 
