August i, iSgr.] 
THE TROPIOAI. AQRIOULTURIST^ 
HI 
mutteiB hia spells in secret from the lime of sailing 
until the boats return. While this is going on, the 
natives believe that the sharks cannot open their 
mouths. The wateis i t C’ejion abound with these 
remorseless pirates of the deep. Yet strange say to 
that the number of accidents in the fi.shing grounds 
are very tew. If a shatk ii seen, the divers make 
a signal, when all the boats r. tnrn; it is not often, 
however, this occurs, for, whether, it may be the charm 
or the multitudes or the noise, lew of those monsters 
approach the scene during the diving operations. 
While at work no Ibod is taken by the divers accord- 
ing to the iostructioDs of the conjuror, else the charm 
for their protection is broken. They are, however, 
allowed uolimitod privileges in drink. This permission 
is rarely abused by the divers, who are for the most 
part abstemious men. 
On reachiug the shore the boats are made fast, 
while the oysters are carried on the heads of 
boatmen to the “ Kottus ” or palisade enolosures 
on the sand, where they are thrown into heaps. 
Some boats land as many as 30,000, while others 
only five or six hundred. When all the shells are 
lauded under the careful eyes of the overseers, the 
whole is divided into heaps, two-thirds going to the 
Government, and oue-lhirdto the divers. The diving 
operations of the present year have proved a great 
snooets, exceeding the expectations of the official in- 
upeotor. It was estimated that about 10,000,000 oysters 
onuld be available, whereas the actual number fished 
has reached 37,310,652, the Government share of which 
has realised B8,27,031, at an average price of 1132-14 
per thousand. The highest price ubtaiued has been 
ASO, and the lowest K2fi. The largest number of 
boats out OD any one day baa been 206, aud the lowest 
36. A further HI, 00, 000 should bo realised by the 
Government, if the monsoon will only hold off, as the 
banka are not nearly exhausted. This is, 1 think, the 
largest sum that the fisheries have ever yielded, and is 
all clear gain to the revenue. 1 notioe from the official 
statemeut showing the estimated revenue and expendi- 
ture fur the year 1391 thatibe Pearl Fisheries are shown 
xs yielding only K500 ! At t .e olose of last year's opera- 
tions, it was authoritatively asserted that there could be 
no operations this year, and the estimate of 10,000,009 
oysters above alluded to was only an after-thought. 
Surely, the Goveenmeet oau be better served iu a 
matter of this sorif by having the banks more care- 
fully surveyed by a competent official. Oysters do 
not form ptarls in the space of a day or two. It is 
to be hopid that all the other estimated figmea of 
the budget will uot go away, or there may be a defl- 
®‘t of some sum that will act disas rously. 
The representative of the Goverumont promptly 
holds an anction duly summoned by tom-tom, wheu 
its share of oysters in lois uf each are put 
up for sale, being knocked do 'U t . the highest bidder. 
Ihe brokers, jewollera, aud lueroi.iiiiis who congregate 
bid and outbid eaoh other in tbe most lively manner. 
Abut the same time a great fair is held, at which ar- 
Nclea of all desoriptioo from India an i elsewhere are sold, 
A great number of beggars, cripp'ei, aud faketrs find 
their way here. 1 noticed one of the .alter who was do- 
ing peuanoe, for which he wore round his ueok a 
gridiron about a foot ami a half lon^'. I was told this 
strange ornament was not removi ,1 while either eat- 
1 T*i®ro were othoi loathsome practices 
exhibited, too filthy to chronicle. 
ine greatest ojre wae taken to i»rt.vent theft. Yet 
i wtH iniormea that pearli are dextoroualy removed 
bramble ® of -aatiff piece of brew or 
The natives think that the pear is formed from the 
ow drops in conueotion with tbe sunbeams when the 
yster comes to the surface to catch the drops 
of ram. Some think the pearls are fo rmed as n delouce 
against interior worms, while others state authorita- 
tively that the pearl w the effeot of diaeabe. I find it 
IS easier to orilicisa their speculations than to sub- 
stitute a more rational theory, wbwh I leave to the 
reader, Betweeu one huuured and two hundred 
pearls have been foQud in % eiugla oyitdr« while 
sometimes a hundred may bo opened without 
Mding any. The jgllow or gold wlOMt peMl 
is most prized by the natives. The largest I saw 
was about tbe size of a small pistol bullet ; spotted 
pearls are oheap. For a long time it was supposed 
that the pearl oyster was anohored to a ceriaiu place, 
and that the crustacean was incapable of lecumoiiou. 
Uore recent researches prove that it can detach itself 
from its moorings and form its byssns at pleasure, to 
prevent being carried away by the onrtent. According 
to thestatementof one naturalist, an oyster was seen 
taking a walk round the inside of a “ ohattie " aud 
mounting the glass side of a vivarium. They are sup- 
posed to ohange their plaoes a dozen times iu a mouth. 
An oyster reaches maturity in its sixth year, and 
in ite ovatia there are reckoned to be about twelve 
million eggs. Owing to its many euemies it is 
hardly necessary to add that few of these millions 
arrive at a mature condition. This curious laiuily 
of Crustacea are so human as to he gregarious iu their 
habits, while they are addicted to night walking, uot 
however, to be regarded as an aspersion on their charac- 
ter like that of the hnmau biped, but solely uu ac- 
oount of their enemies, darkuess being tiicir bust 
protection. The pearl oyster is, on the whole, a hardy 
creature, capable of living in braokisb water, luclmed to 
leave its mooriugs if tbe water gets aguaiuU aud 
disgusted with the oouduot of orabs aud shiimps, 
which nibble at its byssns aud^compel emigraiiuo. 
The shape of this stiange creature carrying so va.uable 
a treasure is that of an imperfect oval, while ihe 
inside of its shell cosemblea a silver palace more 
beautiful than the pearl itself.— ZVmcs of India, 
^ 
CiNkazioM AspiiiBBiiiON IS Aosibu.— T he Auf- 
triaiu uiiuiatry tor home affairs has issued a uteular 
to all pplioe autbonUes throughout the ooumry 
oalling atteution to the gtowiog praotioa of adul- 
tetattug spioe, espeoialiy oitmamou, aud enjoining 
a stiiut appUoatiou ol tue laws against tood adulter- 
ation. 'i'he euoular slates that it has been oiougui 
to the knowledge ol tne authorities mat large 
quaulitioB ol hazel-nut shells are hrougut into 
oommeroe by way of Trieste tor no oiUer purpose 
tUan to be ground up with cinnamon . — Ghemist and 
DrutjyUt, June 13. 
Tbchnicai, SCHOoui are very much in favour 
in Kugiuud now aud the system ol educatiou is oeing 
extended to the youths of the upper olasses. Sir Ku. 
Hay Currie, the founder ol lUe Feople s Falace in 
Tioudon, has started one lor tne sons ol grentiemen. 
Agrioulture,. Fiaclioal, Hogincering, Fheuuioiiy Ac. 
ace taught with the ordinary subjects of a public 
school oourse, and the pupils are made to be proli. 
oieut iu riding, boating, awimming and oilier manly 
sports. The object is to muke the sons of gentle- 
men who have to light their way in tue world 
more piactioal men us colonists than lUey are 
generally now. A knowledge of a lew oi the 
soienoes with an aptitude for manual wots enable 
a colonist to find ompioyment without any groat 
dilliouuy. — Ceylon Coloniet at home, 
I'mitOLB I’i-iNTS A^D NBW I’HODUCTS. — llOfB 
is an luieresting paragraph from Mr. Moit'e Ad- 
ministration Ttepori lor the Conli'al Trovmce 
just out 
Negooiatious have been in progress for some inobths 
with Messrs. Gordon lieeves aud VV. Gow i sspuotiug 
the lease to them of a large tract ol Grown laud lu 
Matale Kast, lor experimuuis in growing fiore plauis 
chicUy and other produola. Unavoidable delay has oc- 
curred iu ooucludiug a formal ageeemeui, but i trust 
that these genilamon will be iupossestou of u portion, 
at auy rate, ut the laud boluie loug, aud llui tueir ex- 
periiuuut will turn out a suuuess. The laud is, at pro- 
seut, profitless to Goverumeul, and success witu tuo ex- 
periment would be a great boon to the neighbouring vil- 
lagers, who ore, 1 understand, anxious to see opei'atiuus 
iu progress, in order that they may obtain regular te- 
mnuoratiye widiia easy reach el their 
