Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-14
FISHING FOR PEARLS.
At ceylon 5000 Divers Secure A.
100000 Oysters.
From the London Standard.

From the London Standard.
Few crown colonies are blessed with as
businessike and enterprising an admins
tration as Ceylon, and year by year the sur
plus revenue increases. One source of in
come Is the pearl, and last year, after an
interval of twelve years, q fishery was held
at Marchchikaddi, on the northwest coast,
and during thirty-eight working days
Al .1S0,137 oysters We're fished Though the
government is supposed to have two-thirds
of the harvest. the divers and merchants
derived great profit Divers came from
Tuticorln, Keeakari, Mandapam, and
Paumben in India, and from Erukelampidi
in the Mannar district, and a few men from
Gale and Jaffna. There were 260 boats
and about 5000 divers at Marichchikaddi.
The merchants came from all parts of India
and Ceylon, and from Arabia, Persia and
Cashmir. According to colonial office re-
port, the trade in pearls was very brisk,
and the prices paid were unprecedented.
his is chiefly owing to the fact that no
fishery had been held in Ceylon since 1891,
and to the demand in the Indian and En-
glsh markets.
Although the profit accruing to the govern
ment from these pearl fisheries is large, it
has been urged that 1t might be consid-
erably enhanced If the>present stereotyped
methods Of fishing and washing the pearls
were superseded by a more modern system.
At present the native divers, having got
eHSi oyStciS, weigh dHcHOi, dio dIteI d
run Of some hours duration reach the shore
where their INTELLECTUALLY the whole
of their loads-are divided into three equal
shares, of which they take one and the
government takes two theoretically.
therefore, the government gets two-third
share of the profits of the fishery, and the
natives get one-third. But. as a matter of
fact, 1t Is known that during the hours of
the run in from the banks ITO shore the
divers and the crews Of their boats are
busily engaged in extracting as many pearls
as time permits, and even when the shore
Is reached, and these opportunities for ex-
traction come to an end, the crowd and
hustle is SO great that, despite every pre-
caution, 1t Is certain that q few entire
loads, or parts of others, escape being sub
mitted to partition. 10 Z
Consequently, in the opinion of the most
experienced government officials, the actual
share of profit on the fishery obtained by
the government is not two-thirds, but one
half. Even this half Is, however. only the
gross profit, as from 1t has TO be deducted
the cost of the construction and up-keep of
the very extensive camp Ittfs, therefore,
obvious that system which would leave
all the oysters in the hands Of the gov
eminent would be greatly to the advantage
of the revenue
1t Is hoped to improve the pearl fisheries
or Ceylon, and with this end in view Prof.
Herdman has been making Investigations.
1t is also proposed to take in hand sponge
culture on an extensive and profitable scale
at Trtncomalee and in the shadows of the
Jaffna peninsula, while the culture or edi-
BILE oysters and Of the pearl-bearing Tom
/ilakam window oyster, 1t is thought, IS
capable of extensive development.