PEARL FISHERY. 
round the sloop, sounding and sending down have reached the banks they cast anchor, 
the divers, and upon discovering a place and wait the approach of day ; which no 
remarkable for the number of oysters, a sooner arrives than each boat takes its sta- 
buoy is immediately placed over it, which tion ; at six or seven o’clock the diving 
consists of triangular rafts of wood, fastened commences. To facilitate this operation, 
by a cable attached to a wooden anchor, a species of open scaffolding is projected 
sunk by two stones. The rafts support from each side of the vessel, and it is from 
flags of various colours; and drawings of the scaffold the tackle is suspended, three 
those are inserted in a book, where a mi- stones on one side and two on the other. 
nute description is given of the name, qua- 
lity, and age of the oysters on the bank un- 
der each flag. Three hours sailing of the 
boats employed in the pearl fishery from 
the shore of Condaatchy, or a distance of 
about fifteen miles, occurs between the 
banks and that place: unforUinately the 
land near them is so low, that it is impos- 
sible to make use of it in ascertaining their 
position ; it becomes, therefore, absolutely 
necessary to renew at each fishery the 
fatiguing operation of sounding and diving, 
tlie buoys being all removed at tlie close of 
their labours, as they would serve to point 
out the places for depredators to dive with 
success. 
Mr. Cordiner, from whose late excellent 
account of Ceylon we have extracted most 
of the preceding particulars, says, “ As the 
boats arrive at Condaatchy to be employed 
in the fishery, they are regularly numbered, 
and their description and the names of their 
crew are registered in a book. The fishery 
for the season of 1804 was let by govern- 
ment to a native of Jaffuapatam, who had re- 
sided for some years previously to it on the 
coast of Coromandel. For thirty days fish- 
ing, with 150 boats, he came under an obli- 
gation to pay 300,000 Porto l^ovo pagodas, 
or 120,0001. sterling. He sold the right of 
fishing to some of the best equipped boats 
for 3000 pagodas each, and that of others 
for 2600; but kept by far the greater part 
of them to fish on his own account.” 
After every arrangement is completed, 
and the boats are ready to put to sea, their 
navigators and the divers are roused from 
their slumbers by the discharge of a cannon, 
the sounding of horns, and the beating of a 
kind of drum, called by the natives tom toms : 
this signal is generally made rather before 
midnight, when a breeze from the land pre- 
vails; the confusion that immediately follows 
the movements of upwards of six thousand 
persons in the dark may be better conceived 
than described; but in defiance of every 
obstacle, these silly people will not depart 
till they have performed certain ablutions 
and incantations, calculated, as they sup- 
pose, to forward their views. When they 
The author we have just mentioned gives so 
clear and comprehensive an account of this 
dangerous business, which he saw perform- 
ed, that we shall give part of it in his own 
words. “ The diving stone hangs from an 
oar by a light country rope, and slip knot, 
and descends about five feet into the water. 
It is a stone of 56 Ih. weight, of the shape 
of a sugar loaf. The rope passes, through' a 
hole in the top of a stone, above which a 
strong loop is formed, resembling a stirrup- 
iron, to receive the foot of the diver,” who 
is entirely naked, except a piece of enhio 
wrapped round his waist; swimming near 
the side of the vessel, he takes the rope in 
one hand, and places his foot in the stirrup 
on the stone ; a basket is then thrown into 
the water to him, made of a hoop and net- 
work below it, in which he places the other 
foot: after preparing his lungs for ceasing to 
breathe, he presses his nostrils firmly with 
one hand, and with the other pulls the rope 
forming the slipknot; the stone carries him 
instantly to the bottom, where he no sooner 
arrives, than he disengages himself from the 
stirrup, which, with the stone, is immedi- 
ately drawn up by the people in the boat. 
The diver throws himself forward upon his 
face, and grasps every thing in his way as 
rapidly as possible, and putting it into the 
basket, gives a signal when it is full by 
pulling the rope, when that also is hauled 
up ; he then ascends by the rope, and fre- 
quently arrives at the surface before the 
basket : such is the consequence of custom, 
that though the diver cannot descend again 
without an interval of rest, he seldom en- 
ters the boat, remaining swimming and 
floating about during the whole day. 
Besides the other dangers peculiar to this 
pursuit, the divers are liable to be devoured 
by sharks ; but whatever may be the cause, 
an accident seldom occurs, which these 
superstitious people attribute to the power- 
ful aid of shark^ charmers, without whom, 
and the exercise of their diabolical incan- 
tations, they will on no account undertake 
their labours. The most experienced diver 
has never been known to remain longer 
than one minute and a half under water, in 
