400 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. [Deo. 1, 1903. 
resin, gutta and dirt may be expressed on the 
dry material as follows : — 
a h c 
^ps^ Per cent. Ptr cent. Per cent, 
a,.. Resin .. 68-9 722 68-9 
.fe Gutta? .. 27-2 26 3 25 5 
g^-Dirt ... 3-9 1-5 5-6 
These results sliow tliat the samples are very 
uniform in composition, the only considerable 
vfiriabion being in the amount of insoluble matter 
(dirt) present. Sample (6) which had been prepared 
by heating contained the largest amount of resin, 
but otherwise the different methnris of preparation 
had apparently little influence upon the composi- 
tion of the product. It was clear from the physical 
properties of the samples that the gutta percha is 
of inferior quality, and this opinion was confirmed 
by the large percentage of resinous substances 
found on analysis. Moreover, the "gutta" 
obtained from it did not exhibit the characteristic 
properties of the substance from true gutta 
percha, being friable, devoid of strength, and 
softening when held in the fingers. In tact no 
true gutta was present in any of the samples. 
Material such as this possesses no value for insul- 
ating purposes, and the brokers to whom it was 
submitted for commercial valuation stated that 
it would only be worth about IJrf. per lb. 
— ■-• » 
CEYLON PEARL FISHEEY. 
A RICH HARVEST, 
il iSince the Dutch made way for the British in 
Ceylon more than a hundred years ago, accord- 
ing to the Report on the Pearl Fishery of Ceylon 
in 1903, the fishing on the north west coast of 
the Gulf of Manaar has brought in a net income 
of over a million pounds sterling. From 1796, 
the first year ot the British occupation of Ceylon, 
to 1837 23 fishings took place ; between the years 
1837 and 1855 none. From 1855 to 1891— except 
from 1864 to 1873— there has been a 10 yearly 
fishing. The net average profit of each fishing 
amounted to about £34,000. The smallest brought 
£10,000, and the richest, that of 189 U £96,000. 
At the last period of ten years there was no 
fibbing. The yearly reports on the condition of 
the oyster-banks stated that though there were 
plenty of young oysters, none were fullgrown. 
This backward state, as well as the dying-out and 
disappearance of the pearl-oyster, could not be 
scientifically accounted for. 
The Government, therefore, decided to invite 
an expert, Professor W A Herdman, to Ceylon 
in iy02, and to entrust to him this task. The 
professor not only justified the confidence 
placed in him, as was shown by the result of this 
year's pearl-fishing, but he made at the same 
time, and on the spot, valuable observations on 
the sea fauna aud the life of the pearl oyster, 
besides subjecting the bottom of the whole Gulf 
of Manaar to an exhaustive biological examina- 
tion, whereby he was enabled to discover and 
point out to Government the richest banks of 
full grown oysters. In consequence of the 
favourable report of the expert a pearl-fjshing was 
decided on, and the date fixed for February 23, 
1903. The weather prevented its being started 
nntil March 2. It lasted till April 14, for 42 
working days, Sundays and holidays excluded. 
Some time before the beginning of the actual 
operations extensive preparations were made in 
Mariobikadai, a amali convenient bay nearest to 
the three banks to be fished. A town of huts, 
large enough to accommodate 50,000 persons, was 
built, a daily steamer service with Colombo was 
started, a post and telegraph office established, 
and the greatest attention was paid to drawing up 
sanitary rules to protect the fishery from invasion 
by an epidemic. 
Thousands of divers, belonging to every Oriental 
nation, Berbers, Arabs, Persians, Burmans, people 
from further and nearer India, arrived to join in 
the fishing with the Sinhalese and Tamil divers. 
From 120 to 200 large boats, manned by 3,000 to 
5,000 divers, start at daybreak every morning. 
The greatest depth in which the divers work is 
about 42 ft, Tliey remain under water from 60 to 
80 seconds, and during that time a skilful diver 
will gather from 15 to 30 oysters. When the 
boats have returned and drawn up on the sands, 
every pair of divers bring their day's booty to 
land, where, without counting, they make three 
even divisions of it. The Government official 
chooses two of these as the share of the State, while 
the third belongs to the diving-pair, as their 
earnings, on which they may make what profit 
they can. Every evening the Government portion 
is publicly auctioned off, a thousand shells at a 
time, more than 25,000 men, mostly pearl- merchants, 
attending the auction. Among these are a con- 
siderable number of Europeans. On the eighth day 
the Government had covered all its expenses in 
connection with the fishing, and could face the 
rest of the time in perfect confidence of profit, 
from March 27 the oysters began to show them, 
selves poor in pearls, and many merchants, 
foreseeing the end was near, left the market. 
Then the camp gradually emptied. On April 14th 
the Government decided, in view of the decrease 
in the oyster catch and the daily results, to 
declare this year's fishing closed. 
The fishery exceeded all the anticipations of 
Government ; as to profit, it was the second 
richest for a hundred years. It was favoured 
by weather, and the longest but one as to working- 
days. In 1881 the divers fished for 47 days. 
According to the reports of the divers, millions 
of young oysters swarm on the banks, a most 
hopeful promise for the next fishing. The net 
takings of Government this year amount to 
R8, 30,000, and this goes to increase the revenue 
of Ceylon, so that from the Government point of 
view the fishing of 1903 was a profitable under- 
taking. For the pearl-markets of the world, and 
the mother-of-pearl industry, it was, however, of 
little importance, as not a single one of the pearls 
found was distinguished as to colour or size. A 
few of the most valuable, about the size ot a 
pepper-corn, brought a price of from R750 to 
Rl.OUO, but a higher rate than this was not heard 
of. The oysters, though on an average rich in 
pearls, held mostly small ones worth about R30 
per carat, and a large proportion of seed-pearls, 
which as pearls possess little or no value. They 
are chiefly used by well-to-do natives, who 
burn them for lime, as a substitute for real 
lime, and mixing this with finely-chopped betel- 
nut, smear it on a leaf and chew it as a luxury. 
The total value of the oysters has not been 
published, but taking the Government share of 
R8,30,000, as representing two-thirds of the whole, 
it may be roundly calculated at R12,00,000. In 
comparison to the pearl oysters of Aden and the 
Persian Gulf the shells of those in Ceylon are 
small, of a bad colour, and quite inferior — 
Qlobc. 
