PEARL FISHERY,

135

the sea over this plateau-area is wonderfully level, the
gradient of slope imperceptible to a diver walking on the
bottom, less indeed than 7 feet in 10,000 over the northern
section. The best beds are where a coarse grit sand is
interspersed with frequent outerops of flat-surfaced rock, or
where many loose fragments of stone or of dead coral
(technically termed “ culteh ”) are scattered extensively over
the surface of the sand. In such situations the oysters do
not become over-crowded, and with sufficiency of food come
sarly to the pearl-producing stage.
Other banks have an exclusively rocky surface. These
are often crowded with spat, but they seldom bring their
oysters to profitable maturity, over-crowding producing
stunting of growth, disease, and premature death.
The beds are examined by the Inspector of Pearl Banks
twice each year, approximate estimates being made of the
number of oysters present on each bank. Whenever the
age and size of the pearl oysters appear to warrant the step,
a sample of some 20,000 oysters is collected by native divers,
and a valuation of the pearls they may yield is made. If
over the value of Rs. 10 or Rs. 12 per 1,000 oysters a fishery
is proclaimed by Government, and advertisements are
published far and wide through India and Ceylon, detailing
the valuation of the sample pearls, the area of the bed to be
fished, and the estimated number of oysters likely to be
available.
Divers and merchants are invited to attend, the former
being offered the inducement of one-third share of the
oysters fished as remuneration for their services. The
divers provide the boats and everything necessary for the
work.
The fishery takes place during the calm period of the
north-east monsoon—Iebruary, March, and April—when
rain seldom falls during the day, and when the divers can
count, during the morning, upon a calm clear sea with a
bright sky overhead, This period offers the further advan-‘age
 of a land wind blowing throughout the night alternating
with a sea breeze from about midday, The boats are thus
anabled to take up their stations on the banks by daybreak
and to regain the fishery campat an early hour in the afternoon.

The fishing fleet is divided into two sections operating
apon alternate days. ,
About 7 A.M. the signal to begin diving is given by
the Inspector of Pearl Banks, who has charge of the diving
operations. Immediately the scene becomes animated ;
divers take preliminary headers, and a tumult of noise