As soon as the fishermen pass out of the government koddu with
their quota, they are met by a crowd of natives eager to buy the
oysters in small lots, and frequently at so many per rupee—ranging from
eight to twelve ordinarily. This "outside market" is one of the many
interesting features of the camp, for there are few persons on the
shore who do not risk small sums in testing their fortunes in this
lottery. And a wonderful lottery it is too, in which a man may risk a
few coppers and win a prize worth hundreds of dollars. A poor Tamil
once bought five oysters for half a rupee, and in one of them he found
the largest pearl of the season. Any not sold among this eager,
animated throng are at once marketed with a native buyer. The diver
then hastens to immerse himself in one of the bathing tanks provided
for the purpose. It is claimed that if this bath is omitted after
immersion all the morning in the salt water of the gulf, the diver is
liable to fall ill; and a sufficient supply of fresh water for this
purpose is an important factor in the arrangement of the camp.
Owing
to their sale in much smaller lots, or as we may say, at retail, the
fishermen succeed in getting relatively high prices for their oysters,
and their earnings exceed one half of the government's share. In 1905
this amounted to probably £86,000, or an average of about $1350 for
each of the 318 boats. However, some crews made very much more than
this, with a corresponding decrease for the others. Although 1905 was a
record year for large returns, even in an ordinary season pearl
fishing is relatively profitable, as a skilled diver earns five or six
times as much as a common laborer in Ceylon. The regulations
particularly forbid the employment of divers for a monetary
consideration instead of for a share of the oysters according to the
established custom.
The remaining two thirds of the oysters in the koddu are
the property of the government. These are combined and counted. At nine
o'clock each evening they are sold at auction, and by noon of the
following day all have been removed, and the inclosure is ready for the
incoming catch.
At
the auction the number of oysters to be sold that evening is
announced, and bids are invited. Some one starts the bidding at,
maybe, Rs.20 or 25, and this is advanced by successive bids until the
limit appears to be reached, which may possibly be Rs.50 or 60. The
successful bidder is permitted to take as many oysters in multiples of
1000 as he chooses ; and after he is supplied, other merchants desiring
them at that particular price are accommodated. If there is no further
demand for them at that price, the bidding on the remaining oysters is
begun precisely as at first, and when the maximum bid is reached, all
merchants willing to give that amount are furnished with as many as
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