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CEYLON PEARL FISHERIES.
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two pjrsons
will do alike. The perfections in pearls are shape and lustre, viz.,
sphericity, and a silvery brightness free from any discoloration
whatever; and, as the pearl has these two essentials, so do the
valuers assign them to their appropriate class, namely:
Anic—perfect in sphericity and lustre.
Anathark—follower or companion, but failing somewhat in one point, either sphericity or lustre.
Masengoe—confused, imperfect, failing in both points, especially in brilliancy of colour.
Kallippo—rejected or outcast, as failing still more in both points.
Korowel—nearer or shorter a double pearl.
Peesal—mis-shapen and clustered more than two to each other,
Oadwoe—beauty.
Mandanyoe—folded or bent pearls.
Kural—very mis-shapen, small.
Thool— small grains.
The
pearls having been sized and classed, each class is then weighed . and
recorded in Kalanjie and Manjadie. The former is a brass weight, equal,
it is said, to 67 grains; the manjadie is a small red berry, having the
property when full sized of being all exactly of the same weight, and
are reckoned as 20 to the kalanjie.
The
weights being ascertained, the valuation is then fixed to each pearl or
set of pearls, according to their respective sizes and classes, the
inferior classes solely according to weight at market value of such
pearl at so many star pagodas, i. e. 3^ rupees each per kalanjie; but the superior classes, i. e. Anie,
Anatharie, and the Vadivoe, if good, are not valued only by weight, but
at so much per chew of their weight, the native pearl dealers' method
of assigning the proper value by weight to a valuable article of small
weight; and is, I apprehend, akin to the practice of dealers in
precious stones who multiply the value per carat by the square of the
weight of the article; this is rather a meagre explanation of the chew,
but a fuller one would need illustration by figures.
When a fishery is to take place, notice is issued in the Government Gazette according
to the Form Annexure No. 3 and about the middle of February the bank to
be fished is buoyed off, and a sample taken up and valued so that its
out-turn may be compared with that of November, and the latest
condition and prospects exhibited; it is this sample, always very much
superior in weight and quality, by which the speculators are (until
they have washed the purchases) guided. By the end of February,
Sillawa-torre,—an arid, desolate sea-coast village scarcely inhabited,
but so situated as to be the exact position from, which the fishery
boats can daily go to and from the" banks, and containing space
sufficient to accomodate without interference with private rights all
the needs of a fishery, and loo far distant from any place for its
results to be the cause of annoyance to ajiy but those whose duties or
inclinations bring them there,—is densely thronged with thousands of
natives of all classes, traders, pearl merchants, divers, boat-owners,
boatmen, and coolies, besides visitors, English and Native whom
curiosity may bring to see what may be fairly called a most interesting
sight and a wonderful Eastern fair. Then there are the Government
establishments, a few troops to guard the Treasure and prevent any
raid that might be attempted upon the thousands of money and property
brought to the fishery; a medical establishment, and a body of Police
to keep order, and, if possible health amongst this mottley assemblage
of European, Tamil, Singhalese, Moormen, and the still more varied
tribe of the Chetty class and caste, that flock from all parts of
Ceylon and India. The largest number of arrivals take place from the
25th February, and I have noted as many as 30 to 50 boats a day coming
in with the sea-breeze, in companies of 5 or 6,
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