,. CHAPTER III.
The Pearl Fishery— Customs- o f the various Indian ‘ Nations mho,
I frequent it.
T h e r e is perhaps no spectacle, which the island of "Ceylon
affords, more striking to a European than the.bayj.of Gondatchy
during the season o f the peaid, fishery.. This desert and- barren^
spot is at that time converted into a scene winch' 'exceeds,-ain
novelty and variety, almost any-thing I. nver^itn.essed. ;Se-,
veral thousands of people o f different colours,,, countries, casis£
and' occupations,. continually passing and re-passing -in a busyi
crowd; the vast numbers of small tents ana h'u,ts„e£ected4 o n :thef
shore jvith the bazar or market-place before each; the, multitude
of , boats returning in the afternoon . from the pearl hanks,.
some of them laden with riches; the -anxious expecting coun-j
tenances of the boat-owners, while the .boats ^ar^approaching
the .shore, and the eagerness and \ avidity with-’which they run-
to them when arrived, in hopes of a rich cargo; .the vast
numbers of jewellers, brokers, merchants, of awcoloprs arid
all descriptions, both natives and foreigners., who. are, occupied
in some way or other with the pearls, sopie separating and- assorting
them, others weighing and ascertaining their number apd-
value, while others are hawking them about,’„or drilling and
boring them for future use: all these circumstances tend to impress
the mind with the value and importance of that object
which'can of ifsfelf create this scene.
The bay of Coridatchy is the most central rendezvous for
4
C h a r t
of the
apE fe fffA F i s h e r ¥~
I in the- JUfe ftetetr, sjj
on th e
I s l a n d of C e y l o n
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Scale ^Jldarute J iffie s.