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

40 - - y
known as the Periya paar, scientific
experts in the year 1902 estimated he
number Of young oysters at n hun
dred thousand million, but SO insecure
was their existence that or inspection
a few months later it was found that
all had been swept away.
Under Government Control.
The fisheries have been under gov
eminent control and the taking OF the
oysters is permitted only after IN in
spection discloses that they are pres
ent in sufficient numbers. News that
a fishery Is to be held travels as by
wireless telegraphy throughout Ceylon,
India, and other parts Of the East, and
at the prescribed time 10000 TO $4,000
people gather in a few days on a strip
Of desert sand, with the Gulf Of Manaar
on one side and the jungle on the other,
at q point convenient TO the pearl-oys-
ter grounds. A town Overing a square
mile springs up like a boom town in
the West, with regular streets, private
houses, shops, markets, banks, a Gene
terry, and government buildings, such
rs a court house, post and telegraph
offices, prison, and hospital. In the out
skirts Of the town large water tanks
are constructed to supply water for
washing clothes and for bathing there
are also wells or cisterns throughout
the town. AS there is no harbOr, the
fishing boats draw up in a long line on
the beach.
A more heterogeneous aggregation OF
humanity could hardly be found else
where. Besides the officials, with
their assistants and servants and the
force Of 200 native police, there are
the multitudes OF fishermen, merchants,
mechanics, pawnbrokers. money-lend-
ers, priests, coolies, and pearl buyers
and spectators, Of every conceivable
color, speaking a score Of tongues, and
representing half a dozen religions. To
amuse, divert, and prey on those who
have legitimate business in the pearl
town, there are fakirs, ~jugglers, dane
ers, beggars, gamblers, and loose char
acters Of both sexes.
AS soon as the fishery is over, the
entire place seems to dissolve In a day
as If by magic, the people hurry to
their homes, the pearl town lapses
again into q solitary sandy waste, and
the beasts OF the jungle take posses
sion. Marichchukaddi may spring in
to being the next season, but may re-
main non-existent for many years.
How the Divers Work.
The fishing boats start for thu
grounds soon after midnight, so as to
be ready for work as sOOn as daylight
comes. They take positions about the
supervising vessel mOOred over the
particular ground selected, anchor,
and remain actively engaged until
noon, when the entire fleet sets sail
and starts for the shore.
Except for a lOin cloth, the divers
are naked. Their fingers are covered
by flexible leather shields TO protect
them from the rough corals and shells.
In order to facilitate the descent, each
diver employs a fiat, oval stone, weigh
ing 30 to 80 pounds. The stone Is
perforated at n end to receive q rope,
anu CIOSC W lHc StOle Il hlIu vi
stirrup Is made in the rope to accom-
mOdate the divers foot. The stone is
suspended at a depth of four or five
feet below the surface by means of q
cord attached to an outrigger.
When ready to descend, the diver
places one foot on the stone, the other
on the rim Of a rope basket attached TO
a rope, initiates his lungs, loOsens the
slip-knOt holding the stone, and sinks
rapidly to the bottom.
The Arab divers wear nose clasps Of
flexible horn attached to a cord around
their necks, while the divers of other
races simply compress their nostrils
by hand during the descent.
Under the arrangement that pre-
vailed at the last great fishery, the
divers were allowed to retain one-third
Of their catch, to dispose OF as they
pleased. The government retained the
remainder and sold II at ouction-