PEARL FISHERY. 
Attempts were made some years past to 
transplant this species of oysters, but with- 
out success, as they invariably died during 
their transportation. 
The first step previously to a fishery is the 
examination of the banks, which takes place 
at the end of October, during the short in- 
terval of fine weather usual between the 
close of the south-west monsoon and the 
commencement of the north east. One 
pilot, two divers, and eight or more sailors, 
to each boat, are employed upon this ser- 
vice, and there are generally nine boats. 
The superintendant on the part of govern- 
ment accompanies the principal arripanaar, 
or pilot, who is taught his profession from 
his infancy, inheriting it from his fatlier, in 
the manner of most occupations in the East. 
The boats visit the banks in a body, and the 
divers frequently descending, ascertain its 
exact position, and at the same time bring 
up a thousantfor more oysters as specimens, 
which are examined by persons who, from 
experience, are enabled to judge whether 
it is probable they are of an age calculated 
to answer the purposes of the intended 
fishing : this examination is not, however, 
deemed sufficient, and the oysters are 
opened, when the pearls are extracted, and 
after sorting them they are valued. It is 
really shocking to humanity to reflect, that 
if one thousand oysters produce as many 
pearls as are worth three pounds sterling, 
the fishery is undertaken, as it has been 
found that the examination of that number 
is a sufficient designation of success, or the 
reverse. 
In the progress of tliis preliminary part of 
the undertaking, the oysters are tuund at 
various periods of their growth : those not 
more than one year old are very small, being 
less than an inch in circumference, and the 
full grown oysters are as large as the palm 
of the hand of a man : between the ages of 
four and five years the seed pearl only is 
discovered ; but after this period they in- 
crease in size very rapidly j and, as has 
been before, observed, they die after the 
eighth year. After completely satisfying 
themselves as to the probability of future 
success, the result is published, for the in- 
formation of those who may be inclined to 
partake of the probable advantages. Since 
the island of Ceylon has been a part of the 
British empire, each fishing season has 
either been reserved for the exclusive use 
of government, or rented to speculative per- 
sons : but the produce has never amounted 
to 200,0001. on any one occasion. The 
most common practice is to farm the sea- 
son to an individual, who lets the right of 
partaking to others. 
The fourteen banks, or beds, on which 
the oysters are found, are situated in the 
bottom of the gulph of Manaar, and are in- 
cluded in a space about thirty miles in 
length, from north to south, and twenty-four 
in breadth. It has been ascertained, that 
the largest of those beds is ten miles long, 
and two broad ; the remainder are much 
smaller ; nor are they all equally produc- 
tive, as it seldom happens that more than 
three beds can be marked for use in any 
given season. Thfe spots where the oysters 
lay are not raised higher than the surround- 
ing parts, except by their accumulation, 
and the coral rocks, on which the most 
valuable are placed, are on a level with the 
sand : the depth of water over them varies 
from eighteen to ninety feet, and the most 
convenient and best fishing is at the depth 
of between six and eight fathoms. When 
it is thought proper to undertake a fishery, 
advertisements are issued in the English 
and Malabar languages, inviting the posses- 
sors of boats suited for the purpose, and all 
divers, to meet on the 20th of February in 
the bay of Condaatchy: vessels of this des- 
cription assemble from various places on 
the coast of Coromandel, completely equip- 
ped, and furnished with every necessary for 
the accomplishment of their intentions: 
those are open, of about one ton burthen, 
forty-five feet in length, seven or eight 
wide, and three deep in the hold ; and are 
so constructed as to draw not more than 
eight or ten inches water, unless they are 
heavily laden, and are navigated with one 
sail only. They have a complement of 
twenty-three men, whose employments are 
thus appropriated : one pilot, one man for 
the helm; another to take care of the boat; 
one to lade out water; ten divers; ten 
mundrees, who haul up the divers, the 
stones, and the baskets ; and a peon attends 
on the part of the renter, to take care that 
his interests do not suffer from fraud. 
A second examination of the banks takes 
place a few days before the operations be- 
gin, which is merely for the purpose of 
anchoring buoys to point out the situation 
of the banks, and those parts of them most 
abounding with the object of search. A 
small sloop is from the first stationed in the 
centre of the banks, where she remains for 
the double purpose of guarding the buoys, 
and as a guide to the boats. The pilot boats 
make a circuit of twelve or fifteen miles 
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