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THE PEARL
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and
looks out for his interests generally. The manduck drops a line with
the oyster basket overboard and attaches to it another weighted with a
forty to fifty pound stone. These are so fastened that they can be
quickly released. The diver then drops into the water feet first and
placing his foot in a loop in the line over the stone puts the basket
on it, and releasing the lines, sinks to the bottom. Disengaging
himself, he proceeds to fill his basket while the attendant pulls up
the stone and adjusts it for the next descent. When ready to return he
signals his attendant, and holding on to the line with the basket is
drawn to the surface, occasionally accelerating his own return by
climbing the rope hand over hand at the same time. He rests in the
water by the boat's side until ready to dive again, making seven or
eight descents before climbing into the boat for a longer rest and
sun-bath.
The
divers of India, Arabia and the Red Sea are natives of the Madras
Presidency, descendants of Arab fishers at Jaffna in Ceylon, Arabs,
and Egyptian Negroes. They travel long distances to the fisheries and
there are
180
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