seconds,
or, within n seconds of two minutes. What that means, only those know
who have watched for the re-appearance of a human being who has
remained half the time under water. It really seems "an age" to those
who "watch and wait." Not only is Ij minute the longest dive on record
in the annals of the Ceylon banks, but I suspect that if sceptical
criticism Were brought to bear on the stories which allege subaqueous
existence by divers for periods up to six minutes, this latest feat
would be found to take rank amongst the most remarkable in the annals
of diving where the diver has not been artificially supplied with air.
No doubt the organs of the human body are capable of being educated, by
continued practice to endurance of abnormal conditions and of
adaptation to such conditions; to those of extreme heat for instance,
if gradually applied. I could, therefore, understand a man who
commenced a diver's life "sound in wind and limb," obtaining gradually
the power of remaining under water and repressing inspiration and
respiration for two minutes, or at the very utmost two and a half. But
those who know that the blood is the life, and that it must, as it
circulates be aerated, or lungs and heart will cease to act, will be
slow to believe in a staying power under water of three minutes; far
less of six. If such dives have ever been really made, the record being accurately kept, the
conclusion must be that in such cases the respiratory organs were in an
abnormal condition, or thaf some means of obtaining fresh air were
adopted. It is not obvious how the use of a nose-compressor (made of
horn, I believe,) could have aided the man who made the long dive. The
other "Arab'' alluded to by Capt. Donnan had an imperfect diving dress
which, it will be observed, was rather an encumbrance than a help to
him as a regular diver, in which capacity he was only thoroughly
successful when he abandoned the adventitious aid. Much service to the
pearl fisheries of Ceylon was naturally expected from the class of
European divers who, by means of external air supplied to them, can
remain not minutes but hours under water. But the hopes entertained
have not been realized. For the ordinary operations of rapidly
collecting and bringing shells to the surface, a regular diving dress
is as much of an impediment a> was Saul's armour to the shepherd lad
who slew the giant with the simple weapons of a pebble from the brook
projected by a sling. For exploring the banks and reporting on their
condition, more might have reasonably been expected. But a thickly
mailed and heavy booted European diver, with 7 to 9 fathoms of water
pressing on him, is no light entity to walk over and inevitably crush
the colonies of molluscs. Sir Henry Ward, in his graphic account of his
visit to one of the series of pearl fisheries in his time, did not fail
to notice the heavy and awkward movements of the regular diver under
water, as contrasted with the lithe and rapid action Of the next to
nude native professional. As a matter of fact, Capt. Donnan, by the aid
of a few well-trained and experienced native divers, who not only bring
up specimens of the shells, but report on the conditions they have
observed below, (for. the divers keep their eyes open,—very wide open,)
is better able to judge of the state and prospects of a bank, than he
could be by any aid rendered by men in cumbersome diving djesses. Most
useful are such men in exploring wrecks and in carefully and patiently
building up submarine structures, such as our grand Colombo breawater.
But there are limits to their functions, and those limits are reached
when it is attempted to employ them in connection with pearl banks or
pearl fisheries. In calm clear weather, I believe the bottom is
distinctly visible through seven fathoms of water, (the average on
the pjarl banks,) and with a good glass to aid the eye, so, also, I
should think, are most details of coral and algae, living and dead
shells, and even the movements occasionally of such fishes as skates
and "old women," destructive enough, in all conscience, but not to be
compared I suspect to the deadly operations of the voracious whelks,
who only want a small chip on the edge of a shell, Or the incautiously
prolonged opening of the lips of its prey to majte short work of the
animal, whose nacre-secreting powers has made it so famous
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