River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1912-05-09

divers are careful to dry their bodies thorough
ly after each descent and to take sutlclenS
rest Between dives they often smoke a pipe
or cigarette sometimes while in the water just
preparatory to dive.
The divers have learned by experience that
they may increase the length of their sub
mergence by making number of deep, forced
respiratory efforts before taking the plunge
Most exaggerated stories have been told and
are still current regarding the length of time
the divers can remain under water.
The Arab divers wear nose-casps of flexible
horn attached to a cord around their neck
while the divers of other races simply com
press their nostrils by hand during the de-
scent This practice can hardly make any diff
ference in efficiency, and we must conclude
that the experiences Of the Arabs depends on
an aptitude born of long experience.
Their usual time below the surface is 60 to
rs seconds, the normal maximum not exceed
ing 80 seconds, while the Tamil and Moormen
divers range from 35 to so or 60 seconds, de-
pending on the depth. There is a well authen
ticated case in 1887 of an Arab who remained
under for 100 seconds in water fathoms deep.
Under the arrangement that has prevailed
for many years, the divers are allowed to re-
tain one-third of their catch, to dispose of as
they please The government retains the re-.
mander and sells it at auction.
1t is a very difficult matter to extract the
sight or by touch, or by both combined; conse.
quently it has long been the practice to allow
the decomposition of the soft parts before the
search for the pearls is begun.
The oysters piled into dugout canoes
and covered with mating or else set aside in
coarse sacks for to 10 days. Bacterial putre,
faction is supplemented by the work of blow
flies and their larvae, and at the end Of the
period stated the disintegration decomposi-
ton and digestion of the oysters have pro-
crossed far that there is little left but
pearls shells, slime and foreign matter adher
ing to the Shells together with large volume
Of maggots. The first step in the cleaning
process is the flooding of the canoe to the
brim; then the naked natives, ranged on eth.
er side of the vessel, remove the shells, wash.
ing and rinsng them and removing any detri-
tus in which pearl may lodge.
Eternal vigilance must be exercised by the
owners to prevent the theft of pearls, and one
of the precautions taken is to forbid the wash.
ers to remove their hands from the water ex-
cept to drop at their feet the cleansed shells.
The shells having been removed, the canoe
is filled with water again and again, and the
curry is kneaded and stirred in order that the
lighter filth may be foated off, The water is
finally decanted, and the heavier debris con.
tanning the pearls is removed with scrupulous
cars and wrapped In cotton CLOTH undergoing
preliminary search for the largest pearls and
numerous subsequent examinations in the
course of drying.
The dried matter is then sifted and sorted and
gone over again and again; and then, when 1t
would appear that even the dust pearls must
all have been extracted, the debris passes for
final search into the hands of women and
children, whose sharp eyes and delicate touch
enable them to discover an amazingly large
quantity of small pearls. The material then
remaining is offered for sale and always fpds
ready buyers
The most productive fishery in the recorded
history of Ceylon was held in 1905 Three
hundred and eighteen vessels participated, and
during the season that extended from February
20 to April 21 over 81000000 pearl oysters
were landed, whereas the best ssevious fish
cry, in 1894 yielded only 100000. On a mum
Der of days over 100000 oysters were OBJ
tanned, and day, when 5,005,000 were tax
en-, a record established that may never
again be equaled.