The pearls are discovered near the an gles of the shell, and close to the hinge, where the animal is most thick and fleshy; they are generally numerous, and in some instances 150 have been taken from one oyster ; on the other hand, an hundred oysters have been opened whence a pearl could not be extracted fit for any purpose whatever. Attempts were made some years past to transplant this species of oysters, but without success, as they in. variably 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 interval of fine weather usual between the close of the south-west mon soon and the commencement of the north east. One pilot, two divers, and eight or more sailors, to each boat, are employed upon this service, and there are general ly nine boats. The superintendant on the part of government accompanies the principal arripanaar, or pilot, who is taught his profession from his infancy, inheriting it from his father, in the man ner 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 thousand or more oysters as specimens, which are examined by per sons who, from experience, are enabled to judge whether it is probable they are of an age calculated to answer the pur poses of the intended fishing : the exami nation is not, however, deemed suffi cient, and the oysters are opened, when the pearls are extracted, and after sort ing 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& that number is a sufficient designation of success, or the reverse.
In the progress of this preliminary part of the undertaking, the oysters are found at various periods of their growth: those not more than one year old are very small, being less than an inch in circum ference, 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 increase in size very rapidly ; and, as has been before observ ed, they die after the eighth year. After completely satisfying themselves as to the probability of future success, the re sult is published, for the information of those who may be inclined to partake of the probable advantages. Since the isl and of Ceylon has been a part of the Bri tish empire, each fishing season has either been reserved for the exclusive use of government, or rented to speculative persons : but the produce has never amounted to 200,0001. on any one occa sion. The most common practice is to farm the season 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 included in a space about thirty miles in length, from north to south, and twenty four in breadth. It has been ascertain ed, that the largest of those beds is ten miles long, and two broad ; the remain der are much smaller ; for are they all equally productive, as it seldom happens that more than three beds can be mark ed for use in any given season. The
spots where the oysters lay are not raised higher than the surrounding parts, ex cept 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 possessors of boats suited for the pur pose, and all divers, to meet on the 20th of February, in the bay of Condaatchy: vessels of this description assemble from various places on the coast of Coroman del, completely equipped, and furnished with every necessary for the accomplish ment 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 lad en, and are navigated with one sail only. They have a complement of twenty-three men, whose employments are thus ap propriated: 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 at tends 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 opera tions begin, which is merely for the pur pose of anchoring buoys, to point out the satiation 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 pur pose of guarding the buoys, and as a guide to the boats. The pilot boats make a circuit of twelve or fifteen miles round the sloop, sounding and sending down the divers, and upon discovering a place remarkable for the number of oys ters, a buoy is immediately placed over it, which consists of triangular rafts of wood, fastened by a cable attached to a wooden anchor, sunk by two stones. The rafts support flags of various colours ; and drawings of those are inserted in a book, where a minute description is given of the name, quality, and age of the oysters on the bank under each flag. Three hours sailing of the boats employed in the pearl fishery from the shore of Con daatchy, or a distance of about fifteen miles, occurs between the banks and that place: unfortunately the land near them is so low, that it is impossible 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, the buoys being all -removed at the close of their labours, as they would serve to point out the places for depredators to dive with success.