Many writers on the art of diving say that the best method of entering the water is with closed eyes ; but this advice is all nonsense, as no person ever enters the water with eyes open when the actual contact takes place. The eyes close together naturally for an instant with a kind of blink. If the learner concentrate his attention on his eye movements, his dive will probably end in an inglorious plump flat on the surface. The eyes can be opened or close at will when once under the water, and, despite all statements to the contrary, there is abso lutely no difficulty in doing this. Objects can be seen more or less distinctly, according to the density and colour of the water and the distance of the object from the surface.
There are two important difficulties in deep diving which have to be overcome. One is the liability to become deaf through damage to the tympanum from shock when the contact with the water takes place, as well as from pressure when at a depth ; and the other is an unpleasant forcing of the water up the nostrils. The former is often avoided by the use of cotton wool or patent ear-cups, but to our mind any swimmer who suffers from ear troubles should refrain from diving altogether. We admit that the temptation to take a dive when chance permits is great, but the pleasure is but a poor reward for years of annoyance through deafness. The second difficulty is a peculiar one, and it has frequently happened to ourselves that a considerable time after diving water has gushed from the nose in a small stream, this more particularly after diving into salt water. For this cotton-wool is also used, but when ears and nostrils are thus plugged up deep diving is more of a task than a delight. The pearl-divers use bone clips or horn for the nose, as the great depth to which they descend, and the method of descent, render it necessary that the nostrils should be closed.
The deeper a diver descends the greater becomes the pressure of the water, the effort to retain the breath becomes exhausting, and the blood rushes to the head. If deep diving be often indulged in, as in the case of a man diving for gain, a uz curious disease known as Diver's paralysis' is likely to be contracted.
The Indian pearl fisheries are the most important in the world, and the work is all accomplished by natural divers. They are brought up to their dangerous occupation from an early age, and in many cases, especially in that of the Sooloo or Sulio race, spend months on the water, with their wives and children, in boats or canoes wandering hither and thither fish ing. The Sooloo coast natives are termed tan Bajans,' toilers of the sea, or sea gipsies,' and are expert divers as well as clever shark-fishers. It is their almost invariable practice to
dive head first, and some of them are said to attain great depths. Their average time below the surface is from a minute to eighty seconds, and the depths to which they descend are almost incredible. One diver, in the presence of the officers of H.M.S. Champion,' went down fifteen and a half fathoms (ninety-three feet), but failed in the attempt to dive nineteen fathoms, although he had previously been credited with performances nearly as good. Although the loss of life from sharks is not so great as might be expected, these terrible foes are greatly dreaded, and the presence of one in the neigh bourhood puts an end to the fishing for that day at least. In the various Government fisheries the pretence that a shark is about is often made an excuse for ceasing work. At Ceylon charmers' are paid by the Government to go out with the boats, and it would be almost impossible to get a diver to descend unless the pittal barras' were present. At this fishery a large fleet of boats is maintained, and it is not uncommon for nearly zoo fishing craft to go out. Before the start there is a great ceremony, and whilst the boats are away the sharks are supposed to be exorcised by the prayers of those on shore, in addition to the special work which falls to the lot of the ' pittal barras' on each boat. In addition to this individual, whose occupation must be a particularly pleasant one, as he apparently does not risk his person, the boats are manned by about twenty men, half of whom are divers, with a pilot or 'adapanaar.' The divers are usually divided into two parties, one party going down whilst the other is resting. Granite stones, pyramidal in shape, are carried in each boat. They weigh about a quarter of a hundredweight, and are used to accelerate the descent of the divers. A rope is fastened to each stone, and the diver, taking a bag of network, to which another rope is secured, in one hand or round the neck, clutches the rope, holding the stone with his foot or with the disengaged hand, and rapidly descends. It is quite common for them to go down simply holding the rope with their toes, so as to keep the nostrils shut by pinching them with the fingers, and it is said that the natives are marvellously expert in working with their toes. As soon as they reach the bottom they throw themselves from the stone, which is at once drawn up to the boat, and quickly collect as many oysters as possible. When exhausted they pull the line connected with the net so that it may be drawn to the surface, and then rise by their own buoyancy.