Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 118, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 May 1912 — The Pearl Fisheries of Ceylon [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

The Pearl Fisheries of Ceylon

By HUGH MSMITH

UNITED STATES DEPUTY COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES

S SOON as a traveler A| sets foot on the shores I of Ceylon he comes I under the subtle charm of the land, and Is quickly imbued with m the feelin S that it; ißEyffißf would be most incortgg gruous if such a clijiE s@osGH§jS§ mate did not produce | ! the most luxuriant fpliage, the most beau12R .CU tiful flowers, the most ■UA luscious fruits; if such a soil not give forth the most E srenderful profusion and variety of precious stones; if such surrounding waters did not yield the most re- . eplendent pearls. Ceylon has long been celebrated for Its sapphires, rubies, cat’s-eyes, moonstones, opals, amethysts, carbuncles, ifjtagl emeralds; but none of these, nor afl of them combined, have given to the island the fame and the romantic - setting that have been conferred on tt If the product of the limpid waters that bathe its coral strands and sandy : beaches. The poetic name of Ceylon : today is "The Pearl on India’s Brow.” | Colombo, the principal city of modi «rn Ceylon, is a stopping place for all ■Jh® steamers plying between Europe t and Asia and Australia, and is there|,fbre visited by thousands of tourists

and travelers each year. But the pearl fishery is so remote from Colombo that not'one visitor In ten thousand ever goes there. The pearl fishery of Ceylon and of India and .the Persian Gulf is of very great antiquity, and is thought to be the oldest established fishery now in existence. The Sinhalese records, going back to about 550 B. C., indicate that the fisheries were then well developed, and there iB reason to believe that they flourished at least 500 years before. At a very .early period the pearls brought the island into prominence abroad and were in great repute 1n Rome at the time of Pliny, who, referring to Ceylon under the name of Taprobane, wrote that it was “the most productive of pearls of c all parts of the world.” Prom the most remote period of which there !b any record, it would appear that the pearl fishery played a very important part in the of Ceylon, having had more or less direct and, intimate relations with every important aspect of the civilization of the Island. The information available clearly suggests that from the earliest times the fishery was conducted in much the same way* as in our own day —the same methods of obtaining the pearl oysters, of handling the catch on shore, and of extracting the pearls. It is hardly necessary to state that the pearl oyster of Ceylon, like the pearl oyster of other lands, is not an oyster at all. It Is more nearly related to the mussels than to the oysters, and ft differs markedly from the latter in having a byssus, or a bundle of tough fibers, by which ■ It attaches itself to the bottom. There are pearl oysters and pearl oysters. There are the huge thick-shelled species of the South Seas, Australia, Philippines and Burma, that are as large as dinner plates and weigh 3 to 4 pounds as they come from the water: there are the small, thin-shelled forms of Venexueia, Japan. Persia and Ceylon, that are only a few inches in diameter and weigh only a few ounces. : \' jThe large pearl oysters produce the mother-of-pearl of commerce, which is so valuable that the fishery is profitable even when no pearls are obtained. The smaller ’mollusks have little value except for the pearls they yield. maximum size attained by the Ceylon pearl oyster is only 4 Inches, aed the shells are fig thin that they may be crushed between MS lingers of an average man. BPearl oysters are found on all pans of the Hut of Ceylon, bat exist In sufficient abundEKte to support an important fishery only in 'll* Gulf of Hanaar, which is a large indentation between Ceylon and India, lying immediately south of the line of giant steppinggtones known as Adam's Bridge. The area of the pearling grounds is about #OO square miles. The bottom is for the most part sand, diyersifled by outcroppings of calcareous rocks, which form flat or slightly inelined ledges, on which the pearl oysters grow. Aggregation* of ledges constitute “paars,” or hanks, which centuries ago received names The largest and most important of these r. ”'V" .-p-'cv

grounds is Cheval Paar, lying from 9 to 13 miles offshore at a depth of 5 to 8% fathoms, and extending about 6% miles from north to south and 4% miles from east to west. Probably the most remarkable feature of the Ceylon pearl fisheries is the extreme uncertainty of the supply of pearl-bearing oysters, bo that from early times, and doubtless from the very beginning, the fisheries have been most unreliable and intermittent. It is a matter of record that during the nineteenth century there were only 36 years when fishing was possible. Mentioning only the longer periods of cessation, it may be noted that there were no fisheries in the years 1821 to 1828, in 1838 to 1854, In 1864 to 1873, and in 1892 to 1900. It was this last long series of recurring failures that induced the Ceylon government to secure the services of an eminent English biologist for a comprehensive investigation of the pearl-oyster grounds and of the causes for the disastrous failures. The result was that a great deal was made known concerning the conditions of fife of the pearl oyster, and for the first time information was afforded the government by which the industry might be placed on a stable basis. Forthwith, in spite of a vigorous protest, the government leased the pearl fishery to a private syndicate and retired from the business from which it had been obtaining a large but not steady income. As we study the life of the Ceylon pearl oyster, two points of transcendent importance are disclosed: (1) The mollusk is prolific to an incalculable degree, and (2) it is subject to an overwhelming mortality, which at times •completely nullifies its productiveness. The numbers of oysters produced are absolutely beyond comprehension. A few years ago, on one paar five miles long and two miles wide, small pearl oysters were ascertained to be present to the number of 10,000 per square yard, in places forming a layer over the bottom nine inches deep; one diver, who was down Only 30 seconds, brought up 3,225 young oysters by actual count. This condition of the grounds was determined in November by the government inspectors; in December of the same year .no oysters whatever were found—all had disappeared as if by magic. On another bank, known as the Periya Paar, scientific experts in the year 1902 estimated the number of young 1 oysters at one hundred thousand million, butso insecure was their existence that on inspection a few months later it was found that all had been swept away. ■ ' . ■ This destruction is due to' a variety of causes, but principally to two: physical agencies, such as the burying of the oysters by - sand, which are ordinary responsible for only 4 to 5 per cent of the mortality; and animals, particularly fishes, of which various kinds and sizes feed largely on the pearl oysters, and are so charged with fully 90 per cent of all the losses to which the young and full-grown mollusks are subject Up to a few years ago, and for more than a century before, the British officials fn Ceylon had absolute control of the fishery, and de-

termined when a fishery should occur and what grounds should be opened to the divers. This determination was based on an examination of the various grounds in the November preceding a fishery, and a preparatory inspection of !the particular grounds selected in the following FebThe advance inspection of the oyster beds on which it is proposed to permit the divers to work is for the purpose (1) .of ascertaining the approximate n uaMr“"6r pearl oysters that may be taken, (2) of marking the areas on

which fishing is to be allowed, (3) of specifying the number of boats on each area and the number of days that are to be devoted to the fishery, and (4) of making an official valuation of tfie prospective pearls in order that the fishery may be advertised. 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 30,000 to 50,000 people gather in a few days on a strip of desert sand, with - the Persian Gulf on one side and the jungle on the other, at a point convenient to the pearl-oyster grounds. i}. It can readily be understood that the pearl town is a place of intense activity from the moment the government agent opens the fish, ery. The extensive business connected with the mere existence of the people would alone be sufficient to give great bustle and life; but added to this are the special industries dependent on the various phases of the pearl fishery. 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 a solitary sandy waste, and the beasts of the jungle take possession. Marichchukaddl may spring into being the next season, but may remain non-existent for many years. There is no particular style of vessel specialy required in the pearl fishery, and consequently we find a great diversity of rigs, depending largely on the regions from which the divers come: narrow single-masted canoes with an outrigger, square-sterned luggers, large sailing lighters, three-masted canoes* and clumsy doneys. Some of the larger, vessels carry 65 men, of whom about half are actual divers, and the average crew of the entire fleet is 30 to 35 men. Owing to the boisterous seas and strong winds of this region, the fishepr can be conducted only during a period of *a few weeks in March and April, when the northeast monsoon has waned and the southwest monsoon has not begun. The fishery is thus of briefer duration than any other pearl fishery pf importance, and is characterized by a strenuousness that is quite foreign to the east. ... The fishing boats start for the grounds soon after midnight, so as to be ready for work as soon as daylight comes, about 6 a. m. They take positions about the government 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. A* there is a crowd of pearl merchants eagerly awaiting an opportunity to speculate, there is considerable rivalry among the diving boats in the matter of reaching land and discharging their catch a* soon as possible, and consequently one witnesses some wild scenes of excitement when the oysters are being unloaded in the surf and the natives are rushing into the kottus with their catch. 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 flat, oval stone, weighing 30 to BO pounds. The stone is perforated at dpe end to receive a rope, and close to the stone a kind of stirrup is made in the rope to accommodate the diver’s foot. The stone Is suspended at a depth of 4 to B feet below the surface by means of a 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, inflates hlB lungs, loosens the slip-knot holding the stone, and sinks rapidly to the bottQm. There he at once disengages his foot and quickly crawls over the bottom, tearing loose all the oysters he can reach and putting them*in the basket. When near the limit of his endurance, he gives a signal with the basket rope and is quickly hauled up by the watchful attendant, or “manduck,’ with Whom the diver Is provided. The helper has meanwhile pulled up and secured the diving stone, and when the basket is hauled in he culls the catch from the miscellaneous refuse that U attached to the oysters. The divers usually operate In pairs, with a common attendant and diving stone. The descents occur at inter valg of five or six minuteß. The best

divers are careful to dry their bodies thoroughly after each descent and to take sufficient rest. Between dives they often smoke a pip* or cigarette, sometimes while in ijhe water jusl preparatory to a dive. The divers have learned by experience that they may Increase the length of their submergence by making a number of deep, forced respiratory efforts before taking the plunge. Most exaggerated storieß have been told and are still current regarding the length of time the divers can remain under water. The Arab divers, wear, nose-clasps of flexible horn attached to a cord around their neck, while the divers of other races simply compress their nostrils by hand during the descent. This practice can hardly make any di< ference in efficiency, and we must conclude •that the expertness of the Arabs depends on an aptitude born of long experience. Their usual time below the surface is 60 te 75 seconds, the normal maximum not exceed ing 90 seconds, while the Tamil and Moormen divers range from 35 to 50 or 60 seconds, de pending on the depth. There is a well authenticated case in 1887 of an Arab who remained under for 109 seconds in water 7 fathoms deep Under the arrangement that has prevailed for many years, the divers are allowed to retain one-third of their catch, to dispose of a* they please. The government retains the re mainder and sells it at auction. It is a very difficult matter to extract th« pearls from perfectly fresh oysters either, by sight or br touch, or by both combined; conse quently it has long been the practice to allou the decomposition of the soft parts before th« search for the pearls is begun. The oysters are piled into dugout canoei and covered with matting or else set aside it coarse sacks for*7 to 10 days. Bacterial putre faction is supplemented by the work of blow flies and their larvae, and at the end of th< period stated the disintegration, decomposi tlon and digestion of thd oysters have pro grossed so far that there is little left bul pearls, shells, slime and foreign matter adhering to the shells, together with a large volum* of maggots. The first step in the cleaning process is the flooding of the canoe to th« brim; then the naked natives, ranged on eith er side fit the vessel, remove the shells, wash ing and rinsing them and removing any detri tUa in which a pearl may lodge. Eternal vigilance must be exercised by th« owners to prevent the theft of pearls, and on* of the precautions taken is to forbid the wash era to remove their hands from the water ex cept to drop at their feet the cleansed sheila The shells having been removed, the canoe is filled with water again and again, and th« gurry is kneaded and stirred in order that th« lighter filth may be floated" off. The water k finally decanted, and the heavier debris con talning the pearls is removed with scrupuloui cars and wrapped in cotton cloth, undergoing a 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 It would appear that even the dust pearls must all have been extracted, the debris passes tot a final search into the hands of women and children, whoie sharp eyes and delicate tench enable them "to discover an ]arg£ quantity of small pearls. The material then remaining is offered for sale and always finds ready buyers. The moot productive llshery in the recorded history of Ceylon was held in 1905. Three hundred and eighteen vessels participates, and durffig the season that extended from February 20 to April II over 81,000,000' pearl oysten were landed, whereas the best previous fish ery, in 1891, yielded only 44,000,000. On a num her of days over 4,000,000 oysters were oh tained, and one day, when 5,005,000 were taken, a record was •ctablished that may nsvoi «p)n he equalled

ANARAB DIVER FROM THE PERSIAN GULF EITH NOSE CLIP

THE FLEET PREPARING TO START FOR THE PEART GROUNDS

THE BEST PART OF AMILLION PEARL OYSTERS

THE PEARLERS LOOK LINK PIRATICAL CREWS

CARRYING PEARL OYSTERS INTO GOVERNMENT KOTTOS