Oct. 1, 1901.] THE TROPICAL AGEICULTURIST. 
INSPECTION OF PEARL BANKS. 
CAPTAIN J. DONNAN TO THE HON. THE COLONIAL 
SECRETARY, 
Master Attendant's OlBce, 
No. 62. Colombo, April 15, 1901. 
Sir,— I have the honoirr to report on my recent 
inspection of the Pearl Banks, during which I 
examined the following banks ; — 
BANKS IN THE NElGHBOUKflOOD OF 
ARIPPU. 
2. Cheval Paar, Modragam Paars North and South, 
Periya Paar, Periya Paar Karrai, Outer Vankalai 
Paar, Kallatidel Paar, Jagg^rboom Paar, and Kon- 
datchi Paar. 
BANKS IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF 
KARAITIVU ISLAND AND DUTCH BAY. 
3. Dntch Modragam Paar, Karaitivu Paar, Alan- 
tura Paar, Muttuvarata Paar, Moodeliooolie Paar, 
Hamilton's Muttuvarata Paar, arid Stenart's Paar 
fished in 1632. 
BANKS IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF CHILAW. 
4. Udupankare Paar, Muttubundi Paar, Jokenpiddi 
Paar, Nagnl Paar, Wanatty Paar, Karakupane Paar, 
and Uhilaw Paar. 
BANKS IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF 
MARAWILA. 
5. Marawila Paar South and Ooioowette Paar. 
BANKS IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF 
NEGOMBO. 
6. Negombo Paar, Muttooparawatte Paar, Haly'a 
Paar ; and prospecting on a new spot where 
I found a fine rocky bank very suitable as regards 
position and depth of water for pearl oysters to settle 
upon, but unfortunately no oysters were found in it. 
This rocky bank is a new discovery. 
7. I found pearl oysters on the Cheval Paar, Periya 
Paar, Periva Paar Karrai, Outer ^'ankalai Paar, 
Modragam Paars North and South, Kondatohi Paar, 
Dutch Modragam Paar, Karaitivu Paar, Alautura 
Paar, and Mnttuvaratu Paar. No oysters were found 
on the other banks. 
CHEVAL PAAR. 
S. On the west side of this bank three detached 
beds of pearl oysters were found, one on the south 
part, one on the centre part, and one on the north 
part. The bed on the south has an area of about 151 
acres, estimated to average 23 oysters to a dive, and 
to contain about six millions of oysters ; the bed on 
the centre part has an area of about 1,000 acres, 
estimated to average 30 oysters to a dive, and to con- 
tain about 54 millions of oysters ; and the bed on the 
north part has an area of about oS-l-'acres, estimated 
to average 21 oysters to a dive, and to contain about 
20 millions of oysters. 
(a) These three beds total up for the west side of 
the Cheval an area of about 1,685 acres, estimated to 
contain about 80 millions of oysters. 
(&) On the east side of this bank two detached 
beds of peail oysters were found, one on 
the south side and one on the north side. The one 
on the south side has an area of about 2,523 acres 
estimated to average 34 oysters to a dive, and to 
contain about 155 miilions of oysters ; and the bed on 
the north side as an area of about 636 acres, estimated 
to average 37 oysters to a dive, and to contain about 
42 millions of oysters. 
(c) These two beds total up for the east side of the 
Cheval an area of about 3,159 acres, estimated to con- 
tain about 197 millions of oysters. 
The total for the whrle Chev?.! Paar is an area of 
•1,844 acres, containing 277 n.illiona of oysters. 
(d) The area of oysters in March, 1900, was about 
5800 acres, so that the present area is lesa by 16? per 
cent. No estimate was then made of the number of 
oysters on tbe^bank, as they were too young to be 
estimated. 
(e) The age of the oysters now on both sides of the 
Cheval are similar, ]§ to 2 years. The oysters on the 
east side are somewhat larger than those on the west 
side, and therefore look older. I hr.ve noticed how- 
ever on previous occasions that oysters on the east side 
Cheval grow larger in size and more rapidly than 
those on the west. I have no doubt that the oysters now 
on both sides of the Cheval are the same oysters that 
■were found on it in March, 1900. They were then all 
on the west side of the bank, only two small insignifi- 
cant patches being on the east side. It therefore 
seems that many of the young oysters must have 
migrated from the west side to the east, or were 
probably drifted over by the effect of the last south- 
west monsoon, thus accounting for there being now 
fewer oysters on the west side, and so many more on 
the east side of the bank, than there were in March 
1800. 
PERIYA PAAR. 
9. On this bank a bed of young oysters from 12 to 
18 months old was found, having an area of about 557 
acres, estimated to average 18 oysters to a dive, and 
to contain about 20 millions of oysters. In March, 
1900, the area of the bed of oysters on his bank was 
about 2,000 acres, and therefore it is now diminished 
by 72 per cent., with a corresponding loss of oysters. 
There seems to be therefore very little hope of the 
oysters now on this bank being found on it next 
March. 
PERIYA PAAR KARRAI. 
10. On the south-west side of this bank a bed of 
oysters from one to two years old was found, having 
an area of about 248 acrus, estimated to average 20 
oysters to a dive, and to contain about seven mil» 
lions of oysters. This bank has not been fished 
since the years 1835 to 1836. Oysters are very seldom 
found on it, but the present stock of oysters may pos- 
sibly come to maturity. 
OUTER VANKALI PAAR; 
11. On this bank two detached beds of oysters from 
one to two years old were found. The beds lie close to 
each other and, combined, have an area of about 273 
acres, estimated to average 26 oysters to a dive, and 
to contain about 12 millions of oysters. In March, 
1900, this bank had a bed of young oysters in abun- 
dance from three to six months old, of an area of 564 
acres. Now the two beds of oysters on it are only 
half that area, showing a loss of 50 per cent, in one 
year. This bank seems to be quite as unreliable aa 
the Periya Paar. 
NORTH AND SOUTH MODRAGAM PAARS. 
12. On the north bank a very small patch ef 
oysters about two years old was found ; and on the 
south bank a small scattered patch of pinna sheila 
with oysters of two years old attached to them were 
found. These two patches of oysters are quite in- 
signiiicant. 
KONDATCHI PAAR. 
13. On this bank two detached beds of pear! oystera 
from li to 2 ye:-rs oM were found, having a combined 
area of about 196 acres, estimated to average 39 oysters 
to a dive, and to contain about 12 millions of oysters. 
It is said that oysters on this bank are deficient in 
pearls, and iherefore never become worth fis-hing, but 
i presume that character applied to the old Kondatchi 
Paar, which lies much nearer to the shore, aud has 
less water on it than the present bank, which is not 
far from the east side of Cheval Paar, and I see no 
reason why the oysters on it should not become aa 
valuable as on other banks, if they remain on it. 
DUTCH MODRAGAM PAAR. 
14. On this bank two small detached beds of pearl 
oysters from li to 2 years old were found, having a 
combined area of about 51 acres, estimated to average 
21 oysters to a dive, iiud to contain aboat Ij million oj 
