each
derives from his oysters. This has been proved by personal experience.
The government agent, in payment of the boatmen and divers who engage
in the fishery, allot one fourth of the yield of each boatful of
oysters to them ; and these lots are allowed to be put up separately,
and in many cases are sold in small and convenient quantities to suit
all purchasers.
In
some instances the boatmen wash the oysters themselves, but in either
case a good judge of Pearls can with much greater safety buy the gems
themselves than venture upon large quantities of oysters, with their
attendant trouble and expense, and the chance of perhaps after all
realizing an insufficient "quantity of Pearls to reimburse him for the
outlay.
Most of the Pearls from these fisheries are
secured by the Indian chetties, as Bombay is
considered a much better market for them than
Ceylon or even London ; much higher prices are
paid by the wealthy Rajahs of India direct to the
Pearl merchants, than could ever be got from
London dealers. Notwithstanding the frequent
fisheries and finds of Pearls, it is nearly impossible
to buy any really fine ones in Ceylon.
Immediately after the famous Pearl fishery of
1880, scarcely a Pearl of any size or value was
