Chap. XI.] 



SHARK-CHARMER. 



379 



be a Eoman 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 " 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 Coediner's Ceylon, vol. ii. p. marins, que, sans cela, seraient 

 52. tentes de les devorer." — Moroudj- 



2 "lis s'enduisaient les pieds et a!-Dzeheb, Reinaud, Mem. sur 

 les jambes d'une substance noiratre, VInde, p. 228. 



aim de faire peur aux monstres 3 Along with this two plates are 



