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92
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THE BOOK OF THE PEARL
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Aside from a loin-cloth, the diver is devoid of clothing except that rarely, early in the season when polypi abound, he is enveloped in a cotton overall as a protection. Over each finger and thumb he wears a shield or stall (khubaat, or
finger-hat), about two inches long, made of flexible leather, to
protect the fingers from the sharp shells and coral-growths. As each
fisherman usually wears out at least two sets of these shields each
season, it will be seen that a very large quantity of them is required
to supply the entire fleet.
The
divers use stones on which they descend feet foremost. Although this
is less spectacular than the method of diving practised by the natives
of the South Sea islands, it enables the fisherman to reach the bottom
more speedily and with far less effort. The diving-stones range in
weight from thirty to fifty pounds each, depending largely on the depth
of water and the weight of the fisherman. They are somewhat oval in
shape, and have one end perforated to admit a rope. Immediately above
the attachment is formed a loop, resembling a stirrup, to receive the
diver's foot. When prepared for the day's work, each stone is suspended
by a stout rope over outriggers projecting from the side of the boat,
and by a slip-knot is temporarily held four and a half or five feet
below the surface of the water. A very stout diver may have a stone
affixed to his waist to overcome his greater buoyancy. Usually two
divers use one stone together and descend alternately. Each one has an
attendant in the boat who assists him in ascending, and looks after the
ropes, baskets of shells, etc.
In
preparing for descent, the fisherman takes hold of the rope from which
the diving-stone is suspended, puts one foot in the loop just above the
stone and places the other foot in the rim of a net basket, eighteen
inches wide, made of coir rope. When ready, he signals his attendant,
inhales several good breaths, closes his nostrils with a fitaam or
nostril-clasp of flexible horn attached to a cord around his neck,
raises his body somewhat above the surface to give force to the
descent, releases the slip-knot retaining the stone, and sinks rapidly
to the bottom. Immediately disengaging his foot from the stone, he
throws himself in a stooping position on the ground and collects as
many oysters as possible during the fifty seconds or more in which he
is able to remain under water. When near his limit of endurance, he
hastily gives a signal jerk to the rope attached to the basket, and the
watchful attendant hauls him up as speedily as possible, the diver
frequently quickening the ascent by hand over hand movement up the
rope. When near the surface, he lets go of the rope and with his arms
close to his body pops above the surface puffing and blowing. The
contents of the net bag are emptied into a large basket by the
attendant, and the dead shells and other refuse* are separated from
the live
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