CHANKEE. MALAY. Cloves. Caryophyllus aromaticus.
These shells are species of the genus Turbinella, fished up by divers in the Gulf of Manaar, on the coast opposite Jaffnapatam in Ceylon, in about two fathoms water, and at Travancore, Tuticorin, Kila-Karei, and other places. Large beds of fossil chanks have also been found. They form a considerable article of trade in India, as they are in extensive demand all over the country. The fishery is chiefly at Kila-Karei in the Ramnad territory, and Tuticorin in the Tinuevelly district. They lie at the bottom in from 2 to 5 fathoms of water. The divers carry a bag round their necks, and dive and grope over the bottom ; 20 chanks are a very good haul for one plunge. The rents paid to the zamindar of Ramnad are £500, and to the British Government 11000. The fishing season is from October to March. Chank shell was one of the insignia of royalty of the Chalukya dynasty when ruling at Kalian. The Chank and the Voluta species are used for making the shell ornaments of Dacca.
They are sawn into narrow rings or bracelets, armlets, beads, and are worn as ornaments for the arms, legs, fingers, etc., by Hindu women. Many of them are also buried with the bodies of opulent and distinguished persons. Those which, from being taken with the living mollusc, are called green chanks, are most in demand. The white chank, which is the dead shell thrown upon the beach by strong tides, having lost its gloss and consistency, is not worth the freight up to Calcutta. The value of the green chank depends upon its size. A chank opening to the right, called in Calcutta the right-handed chank, is so highly prized as sometimes to sell for 400 or 500 or even 1000 rupees. Even 20,000 rupees have been named. The Jangam religious mendicants and those of the Viranrusty sect blow them as horns. The commercial returns show an exporta tion from Madras of ten to twenty-four lakhs of these shells in one year.
1852-53, . . 15,15,495 Rs. 54,780 1853-54, . . 24,60,727 1,04,481 1854-55, . . 10,84,575 56,165 1855-56, . . Not given 26,171 They are classed as Patty and Pajel, or short and pointed headed, and Wallampory, or right hand chanks. Bertolacci mentions, as a pecu liarity observed by the Ceylon fishermen, that all shells found to the northward of a line drawn from a point about midway from Manaar to the opposite coast at India are of the kind called Patty, and are distinguished by a short flat head ; and all those found to the southward of that line are of the kind called Pajel, and are known from having a longer and more pointed head than the former. Nor is there, he says, even an instance of deviation from this singular law of nature. The Wallampory or right-hand chanks are found of both kinds. Chanks are alluded to in Cosmos Indicopleustes, and by Abu Zaid in Voyages Arabes, showing that so early as the 6th century this shell was fished for. The fishery until a few years ago continued a government royalty. The Sankasari of Dacca are famed for their skill in working with the dank or sank. Turbinella rapa is used as a trumpet, a bole being, bored through its base. When blown into it gives a loud, sharp, and piercing sound. It is used in Hindu worship to call the attention of the gods to their wor shippers. The conch shell, used for pouring water on the gods, is a smaller one, the Mazza rape of naturalists. The pictures and figures of the Hindu god Vishnu always represent, him with a clank shell in one hand, and a discus or clinkra in the other. In ancient times, the Indian warriors used the thank as a trumpet. Chankangan of Shahpur is a silver armlet worn with churis or bracelets.— Rohde, 1118.; Ainslie, Mat. Med. p. 143 ; 'Ferment's Ceylon ; Hooker, ii. 254.