136

FISH AND GAME.

begins, incessant for the rest of the day. Matters soon
settle down a little and work commences in earnest.
The divers are a motley crowd composed practically of
four types only—Moormen or Mohammedan coast men of
Ceylon and India, Tamils from Jaffna and the Madras
Presidency, Malabars from the west coast of India, and finally
a lusty gang of Arabs and Negro-Arab half-breeds from
the Persian Gulf. With the exception of the Malabars, who
dive in European fashion, head foremost from a spring
board seat, the divers descend in an upright position helped
in their descent by a stone of some 50 Ib. in weight,
Bach diver has an attendant and is furnished with two ropes.

FLEET OF FISHING CANOES.

To the one is attached the sink-stone, to the other a widemouthed
 bag or basket. Stone and basket are lowered over
the side, the former made fast to a projecting rail by means
of a slip-knot ; the diver, already in the water, places the
basket upon the stone and one foot on. either side. When
ready to descend he takes a few deep breaths, and closing
his nostrils with his fingers or, if an Arab, by means of a
horn nose-clip, looses the slip-knot and sinks to the bottom,
carried rapidly down by the stone.
The moment bottom is reached the diver gives a gignal
bug on one rope, seizes the basket, and begins to gather thereinto
 all oysters within sight. Meanwhile the attendant
draws up the stone and adjusts it in position for the following
dive. His air exhausted, the diver signals and is drawn up