The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1904-12-31

THE PEARLS OF CEYLON.
r,sHlNG FOR THEM A MONOPOLY
az THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT.
Tricks Of tie Arab Divers-Purcha.e
ey Auction is Made by East India
Merchants-Life in a Fishing Town
-Bazaars of PearItown.
"The Pearls of the East" come in
fhese days mainly from the fisheries
If Ceylon. 1t is a primitive industry,
although it is carried on under the
monopoly Of the British government,
vhiea, after paying the fishers their
.bare. makes 100000 rupees year,
moss, says the San Francisco Chroni-
Gle.
aFew that dive for the pearl of the
Seep but are crushed in the kraken's S
laws" sang George Meredith; and
from this it has been inferred that div
ing for pearls is a dangerous Occupa-
fon. The struggle OF the pearl diver
Nth the shark has been favOrite
theme for the authors OF dime novels
md sensation stories. The fact is
that the occupation is attended with
M more than the ordinary risks OF
Me-that it is a vocation less dan
serous, on the whole, than deep water
sailing.
The banks where the pearl oysters
live are fifteen miles off the coast.
they are fished only a part of the
rear. Last season, for example, the
1 work. lasted about two and a half
months. The fleet, on a certain day
st by the government officials, starts
together. 1t consists usually OF about
100 boats each carrying from twenty
20 thirty expert native divers. A gov
eminent boat, carrying the British
superintendent. is in command; and
from this the officials are expected to
maintain sharp lookout to see that
no oysters are opened. The fishing Is
done within prescribed limits, marked
| n advance by lines of buoys, topped
| by red flags. There is a severe pen
atty for fishing outside Of these limits.
Arrived at the banks, the boats drop
tAeir painted lateen sails, take anchor
ase, and the divers begin their work.
| Best of all these divers for efficiency
are the Arab divers. Once they held
| monopoly of the trade. But they are
! not trustworthy, and for holding out
pearls they have more lodges than a
politician. Moreover, being half wild.
| they are impatient of discipline and
prone to mutiny. For this reason they
re being crowded out by the divers
d Keelakarai, a little town on the
coast of India. These people, al
though they do not compare with the
Arabs for expertness, are more tract
able, honest, and amenable to discl-
pine, and hence are being engaged
h larger numbers every year.
The lKeelakarai people have a regu-
hr method Of going at their work
Each man fastens two baskets to his
waist and is let down by rope, to
which heavy stone is attached. Ar
lived at the bottom, he makes haste
y iill his baskets while the supply OF
III in his lungs holds out. When the
hsket is full, or when his ability to
lOld his breath gives out, he gives the
fupe pull and is hauled to the sur
bee. Each dive occupies about two
ninutes, the time varying, OF course,
With the endurance and lung capacity
4 the diver.
While some of the Arabs use the
ame methods, the best of them scorn
npes and stones and dive without
tssistance, bringing up more shells
n day than the Keelakarai men.
These master divers take the plunge
lad first and go down and up by
Aeir own efforts. Splendid fellows
ase these Arab divers. No men OF the
aUpics are so hardy, and their physl-
81 development is superb.
The fishing lasts for about SIX
nurs. BY that time the divers, what
nth the hard work of storing air in
Neir lungs for their work below, are
dhausted. Sharp at noon a gun from
Agovernment launch gives the sig
u to hoist sail and return. One or
10 government launches scurry from
0t to boat all the way homo to guard
&amst attempts to open the oysters.
nrmerly there was government
ard on each boat, but this practice
, k0ing out, because as the present
perintendent humorously remarks.
re guards add to the number OF
leyes on board
Under full sail the fleet sweeps into
again. The preponderance Of the
zen sail makes this scene resemble
coming Of the fishing fleet into
Francisco harbor, only multiplied
ten. There is indescribed confu-
a thousand tongues clamor to-
Mer. screaming, yelling, tugging,
wing, hurting. All is noise and an
non. On the loose, sandy beach
naked mandaks are groaning un-
- loaded baskets and hurrying to