A
populous town springs up with well-planned and lighted streets and vast
numbers of temporary abodes of all sorts, according to the means and
the caste of the occupants, some of them just large enough for two or
three persons to creep into. Although made mostly of poles, mats, cajans or
plaited fronds of the cocoanut tree, they furnish ample shelter for the
locality and season, the uncertainty of the fishery from year to year
being sufficient argument against expensive and substantial buildings.
Numerous wells and cisterns yield water for the use of all. Sanitary
measures are strictly enforced, with a liberal use of disinfectants. At
a considerable distance southward from the settlement are constructed
the private toddis, or inclosures, for decomposing the oysters
and washing the pearls therefrom. Nearer the camp or settlement itself
are the police court, the jail, the bank, the post and telegraph
offices, the auction room, the hospital and the cemetery—all to endure
through a strenuous six weeks of toil and labor, of money-getting and
gambling, and then the inhabitants "fold their tents like the Arabs,
and silently steal away," leaving the debris to the shore-birds and the
jackals.
The fishing fleet consists of several hundred boats1
of various rigs and sizes. These are interesting on account of their
picturesque appearance and also their remarkable diversity of types in
hull and rigging: there is the broad and roomy Jaffna dhoney, commonly
painted black; the lugger-like Paumben boat; the very narrow and speedy
canoes,—not unlike the single masted bugeyes of the Chesapeake
region—from Kilakarai and neighboring villages, most noticeable owing
to their great number and their bright colors—red, green, or yellow;
the clumsy looking, single masted Tuticorin lighters, sharp sterned and
copper bottomed, the largest boats in the fleet, ranging in capacity
from twenty to forty tons each ; and, most singular of all, the three
masted great canoes from Adirampatnam and Muttupat on the Tanjore
coast, pale blue in color and with curved prow. In addition to these
standard types, added novelty is imparted by a few boats of design so
odd and fantastic as would be conceived only by the mind of an oriental
builder.
Reaching
the camp at the beginning of the season, these boats are examined by
the officials as to condition and equipment and, if found satisfactory,
are registered and numbered. When the quantity of oysters to be removed
is small, many more boats may arrive than is necessary or than can find
profitable employment. Formerly when this occurred a lottery was held
to determine those to be employed. More recently the officials have
endeavored to engage all boats passing
JIn 1906 there were 473 boats employed; in 1905, 318; in 1857, 1858, 1859, and 1863, over 400 boats reported for employment.
