The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1822-08-15 00:00:00

HISTORY OF HINDOOSTAN.

Several interesting publications have recently
issued from the press, which the pressure of im-
portant political matter has hitherto prevented us
from noticing in a suitable manner. Among them
is The History of Miamian, which is particu-
larly deserving of attention, as from the variety of
topics contained in it, and the agreeable style in
which they are treated, it is captble of affording
amusement and instruction to almost every clips of
readers. It contains a great number of plates,
beautifully executed, which form elegant illustra-
tions of the different subjects. The Ilindoos are
considered in every social relation, the origin of
their institutions accurately traced, and their man-
ners and domestic habits described in colours, in
which, though they are vivid and striking, we still
recognize the fidelity and simplicity of truth.
The following is a minute and curious account of
the pearl fishery, which gives employment to a vast
number of persona :
" The coast on which the pearl oysters are found
extends from Cape Comorin to the promontory of
Ramanancor, where the Wand of Ceylon is almost
joined to the Continent by a chain of rocks, called
by some of the Europeans Adam's-bridge. The
Hindoos relate that this bridge was built by apes,
when Vishnu, in his sixth iiicArnation, as Rama,
passed o►er to Ceylon to recover his wife, Site,
whom the King of that island would have detained
from him.

" The pearl fishery commences about the mid-
dle of February, when the season is most favour-
able, and lasts till the southern monsoon, which
takes place about the 15th of April. At a later
period the boats would not be able to reach the
banks, where the fishery is carried on, the principal
of which is opposite Condatchey, and lies about 20
miles out at sea ; the agitation of the water would
prevent the divers from descending, and, lastly, the
marine plants brought by the monsoon, and extend-
ing to a considerable distance from the coast, would
he another obstacle.

" Condatchey, the village from which the boats
set out for the fishery, is situated in a hay, in the
shape of a crescent, on the shore of which are to be
seen but a few wretched huts. The water is had
and brackish. The soil produces nothing but a few
trees and stunted shrubs. Those who are brought
hither by the fishery are obliged to procure water
from A rippo, a village with a small fort, 13 ing about
four miles to the south. Tigers, porcupines, wild
boars, and pawns's, are common on this coast,
where tortoises and curious kinds of serpents are to
be met with.

" During the fishing season, Condatehey. which
is but a barren ruck, exhibits • scene equally novel
and surprising. Thousands of men of all colours,
of different countries and castes, engaged in all
sorts of occupations ; tents and huts constructed
along the beach, each forming • distinct shop ;
and the multitude of boats returning in the evening
with their rich cargoes, form altogether a curious
spectacle for the European. All the boats regu-
larly sail and return together. A signal gun is fired
at Arippo, about ten o'clock at night, when the
whole fleet sets sail with the land breeze. They
reach the banks before day-break, and at sun-rise
commence fishing, in which they continue busily
occupied till the sea breeze, which rises about noon,
warns them to return to- the bay. Each of the
boats carries twenty men ; ten of • em row and
assist the divert in reascending ; the•ether ten are
divers, who go down jute the sea by five at • time.
" Large stones are employed to accelerate the
descent of the divers ; five of these are brought in
each boat for the purpose. The diver, when he is
about to plunge, seizes the rope to which one of the
stones is attached, with the toes of his right foot,
while he takes hold of a bag of net-work with those
of his left ; it being customary with the Indians to
use their toes in holding and working, es well as
their fingers ; and such is the power of habit, that
they can pick up even the smallest thing from the
ground with their toes as nimbly as an European
could do with his fingers.
" The exertion undergone during the process is
so violent, that the divers in being brought into
the boat, discharge water from the mouth, ears, and
nostrils, and frequently even blood. Although the
usual time of remaining under water does not much
exceed two minutes, yet there are instances of
divers who could remain four and even five minute,.
A diver who came from Anjango, in 1797, abso-
lutely remained under water full six minutes.
" The owners of the boats sometimes sell the
oysters before they are opened ; •od at others they
open them at their own risk. In the latter case,
the oysters as soon as they are taken out of the
boats, are placed in holes or pits dug in the ground
to the depth of about two feet, As woo es they

have passed through the state of putrefaction and
become dry, they are easily opened without any
danger of injuring the pearls. When the fishery is
over, the places where the oysters have been depo.
sited are sold by auction, because .pearls are fre-
quently left there mixed with sand.
44 The boat-owners and merchants are apt to lose
many of the best pearls while the boats are on
their return to the bay from the banks, as the
oysters, when alive, and left for some time undis-
turbed, frequently open their shells of their own
accord ; a pearl may then be easily perceived, and
the oyster prevented by means of a bit of soft grass
from again closing the shell, till an opportunity
offers of picking out the pearl. Those fellows
who are employed to search among the fish also
commit many depredations, and even swallow the
pearls to conceal them. IVlien this is suspected,
the plan followed by the merchants is to lock the
fellows up, and give them strong emetics and other
medicines, which have frequently the effect of dis-
covering the stolen goods.
" The pearls found at this fishery are of a
whiter colour than those of the Gulf of OMIUS, on
the Arabia* coast; but in other respects they are
not accounted so pure, or of such excellent quality,
for though the white pearls are more esteemed in
Europe, the natives prefer those of a yellowish or
golden cast."