The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1923-11-09

prepared by the National Geographic So
ciety, Washington, d, CO
Ceylon has the oldest pearl fisheries
in the world save perhaps those Of the
Persian gulf. And the Ceylon fisheries
have been among the most prolific. Mil
lions and millions Of dollars worth of
those lustrOus gems have come from
the waters off the western and north
western shores Of the island since this
fascinating sort of fishing began prob
ably 1000 years before Christ. Most
of the pearls gathered in his long
period have gone to the rajahs and
princes of India and even In the re-
cent years in which there have been
fisheries, these same Unsuitable cOllec-
tors of pearls have absorbed from 80
TO 80 per cent Of the Ceylon catch"
One unfortunaH feature of the Cey-
Ion pearl fisheries is their undependa-
bility. At intervals the pearl oysters
mysteriously disappear and a number
OF years may pass without their reap
%pearance. Then just as mysteriously
hundreds of millions Of the young BIZ
valves will be found on the banks and
lucrative fishing will again be possible.
There was such a disappearance tif-
teen years z G, Il no important fish
ing has been possible since. But this
year it has been found the sands and
rocks of the banks are covered by count
less young oysters, and 1t Is believed
that once more in 1924 the famous old
CeylOn pearl banks will be adding
their wealth to midas vast stores.
The pearl "oyster" Of Ceylon, like
those of other lands, is really not an
oyster at all. 1t is more nearly re-
lated to the mussels han to the oys-
ters, and it differs markedly from the
latter In having a byssus, or a bundle
Of tough fhers, by which it attaches
itself to the bottom. The maximum
size attained by the Ceylon pearl oys-
ter Is only four inches, and the shells
are so thin that they may be crushed
between the fingers.
Most of Them in Gulf Of Manaar.
Pearl oysters are found on all parts
of the coast of CeylOn, but exist In SUI.
ficient abundance to support an impOr-
tant fishery only in the Gulf Of Manaar,
which is a large indentatiOn between
GeylOn and India, lying Immediately
south of the line Of giant stepping
stones known as Adams Bridge.
The pearl oysters are more or less
concentrated on banks, which occupy a
shallow, level plateau extending from
<tD chnra far a dictonpa nf fhrap miles
I'm the southern section to 20 miles In
the northern and brOadeSt part of the
gulf. This plateau Is bounded by the
ten or twelve fathom curve, and falls
away quite abruptly, so that within a
very short distance OF the fishing
grounds We may get sOundings OF 100
fathOms. or even 1000 fathOmS. The
area Of the pearling grounds is about
500 square miles. The bottom is for the
most part sand, diversified by outcrop-
pings Of calcareous rocks, which form
fiat or slightly inclined lodges, on
which the pearl oysters grow. Aggre-
gations Of lodges constitute "paarS,' or
banks, which centuries ago received
names that are still applied.
The. largest and most important Of
these grounds is Cheval paar, lying
from nine TO thirteen miles offshOre at
d depth of five to eight and one-half
fathoms. and extending about six and
one half miles from north to south and
four and one-half miles from east to
west.
The number of oysters produced are
absolutely beyond comprehension.
Some years ago, on one paar five miles
long and two miles wide, small pearl
oysters were ascertained to be present
to the number of 10000 per square
yard, in places forming a layer over
the bottom nine inches deep. One
diver, who was down only 30 seconds,
brought up 1925 young oysters by
actual count. This condition of the
grounds was determined in November
by government inspectors; In Deem
Der of. the same year no oysters what
ever were found-all HAD disappeared