CLASS V. LAMELLIBRANCHIATA: ORDER 2. ASIPHONATA. 525 
I - THE PBAEL-OTSTBE. THE PEARL-FISHERY. 
The pearl-fislieries of the Persian Gulf have been known and resorted to from antiquity ; at the 
present day the most important and extensive are near Arippo, on the western coast of Ceylon. 
The following description of these is given by the Comit de Noe : 
" The pearl-oysters lie in banks at greater or less depths in the sea. These banks occur on 
the western side of the island of Ceylon, about fifteen miles trom the shore, where their average 
depth is about twelve fathoms. The fishery always commences in April — because the sea is at 
that time in its calmest state — and continues to the end of May. Not only are multitudes of 
natives attracted to the coast, but crowds of speculators from all parts of India, whose various 
language, manners, and dress are very striking and pleasing. The temporary abodes erected for 
them are also curious and picturesque. On the sohtary shore, a collection of almost innumerable 
huts is at once seen to arise on the eve of the fishery. These huts are merely a few poles 
stuck in the ground, interwoven with light bamboos, and covered with cocoa-nut leaves, yet 
these slight habitations often shelter one hundred and fifty thousand persons. 
" The signal for beginning the fishery is given at daybreak, by the discharge of a cannon, on 
which a countless fleet of boats, that have started from the shore at midnight, and, favored by a 
land breeze, have reached the banks before dawn, cast anchor on certain prescribed parts of the 
banks and proceed to work. Government vessels are on the spot, to prevent any boat from 
fishing beyond its proper limits. The boats of the fishers generally carry a captain, a pilot, and 
twenty men, ten of whom are experienced divers. The ten divers are divided into two companies 
of five eacb, and these companies plunge and relieve each other by turns. 
"That they may descend through the water with gTeater rapidity to the bank round whicb 
the oysters are clustered, the divers place their feet on a stone attached to the end of a rope, the 
other end of which is made fast to the boat. They carry with them another rope, the extremity 
of which is held by two men in the boat, while to the lower part, that descends with the diver, 
there is fastened a net or basket. Besides these, every diver is furnished with a strong knife to 
detach the oysters, or serve as a defensive weapon in case he should be attacked by a shark. As 
soon as they touch, they gather the oysters with all possible speed, and having filled their net 
or basket, they quit their hold of the rope with the stone, pull that which is held by the sailors 
in the boat, and rapidly ascend to the surface of the sea. 
" The marvelous stories that are told of the length of time that these divers can remain 
under water have no foundation in truth.* All the evidence that can be depended upon 
* On this subject there is strange contradiction. Captain Percival says that the divers usually remain under water 
two minutes, that they make forty to fifty plunges a day, and that instances have been known of divers who could 
remain below four, five, and even sis minutes. 
I 
