tions
showed that the Periya paar had been naturally stocked eleven times
with enormous quantities of young oysters, which as regularly
disappeared before they were old enough to yield a fishing. The most
reliable paars are in the Cheval district and it is probable that the
government, acting on the suggestion of Prof. Herdman, will hereafter
dredge the breeding Periya paar of its young oysters and plant them
where they will be able to mature. It is estimated that many millions
of millions of oysters have been lost from this paar during the last
twenty-five years.
A
fishing is not only a matter of commercial importance, but of
wide-spread interest among the natives of Ceylon and India. The romance
of the situation, the hope of gain, the great gathering of people from
many and far-off countries, the opportunities for barter, the
possibilities of securing priceless gems for little, and for making
money quickly, all appeal to the oriental mind.
For
this they will endure the discomforts of long and painful journeys and
the dangers of crowded camp life with a recklessness that con-
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