t lie divers, scrupulous o* Cçommittinga .themselvéèto the deep,
or indeed deter* them' from.' fishing-óat;-alk ; TheI cbfgurers ‘.reap
here, a ;»ch harvest'd for, besides being paid by the govern-
ment, | they?, get-money and, presents of all sorts i from the black
merchants and those; successful in fishing up the .dystersi^'î':
;-The address iofritfaeseKrfeilows.iu redeeming their credit,' when
anyj untoward> accident, happens toejj falsify theimL pfediefeiohs-
, torfee noticed. ggSùeeithe^ island came into our pos-,
session, a.tdiver at the jfiaherjfo qife lo&tV;his t> upon
which the head conjurer, was called to nccountifoi^stlie disaster;
.lip answer, rgivefe tbe?j*aostt striking^ pjcfutfr of rlthe .fcnèwted^è
and ;cappcitÿisôf the people he had ; to ,deaJ-.!withsjî lie * gravely
told themi “ that an old witch, .who owed-him. a grtid'sei
fràd just epme from Colang on th e -Maiabar eoastU ahd ;Meéied
a counter-coqjuration, which fo r. the time : rendered: his yspells
fruitless ; . that this had come to his knowledge ^oo^ilatfr to pre-*
yent the accident which had happened, but thatohe fyould now
shew his, fmm superiority over,his antagonist- by ' enehairfisngiiilfe
sharks and binding u p ;their mouths^,; so that npumQpe aceidëiits
should happen during the. season.”] Eprtünatetyjfor -ehé con*-
jurer the event answered his predic^fgiiif.<and ndÿfurther damage
was sustained from the sharks during the fishery of that year!
Whether this was Qwing;to the prayers and charms erf. the com-
Isjeayg my European readers ; to .decide; bntticert^M^
if. yas lafinlyp, believed iith jhc the ease by>j theidndian.'>'.diverà]
and; heisas afterwards held by^them 4m thé; highestvesfe©fa»Md
ygngj-atipn., Hisi; m©*^, i hf.wey^nm this transaction nléghtJ'kfi
disputeds Jpr; there are,many'seasons in; which mo*;-sueh; dc&iédcrfs
r#kwallèEi;;Thefi^ppearanceitbfi a. >§ingle bsfiark, is indeed/
sufficient; to spreadj dismay ,amqng, the -whole body ^of‘divers.;
for as 'sodn1 as d n'e’^ f -thëm sèes * a shark- he instantly: gives th e
ala'rmlro |Sp ' corapaniOhsyJ'who^ ias quickly communicate it ter
thte other'stfoats ; a panic,-spéedil^sfeizes the \yh©le; and they
often rëturi^td the bay-without* fishing any moredjbr that day.
The- sharks^ffieh create# all' this-; a la r» sometimes ftp « , out Ter
b'e hothirig rflôre than a ’sharp stone* 0» which the^dtverSj happen
to” aligfef-'As false’ alarms”-excited- in; ftffis*? manner, prove very
ihjilfïouM tê'Hhdt jfrdgféss* n@f;y»fihe<. fishery^lie-very i means . is employed1'
to-; asêèï’tËin’rAêfcheT*they^aije .welt-io&ld; founded ; and. itt
the ldÉer^be W Ê case-, - the d'authors ïr#**them are ' punished.
Thesë' false; &Mfms' occurred more* than* onee. in the.îsour^e of thelêÉft.
^(^'^fêPseaÉÊtfsf5-'^
T h e ’ divers ‘‘a r e ' paid differently f ace©rdingpft<%' their private
agfeefrient with ‘th e ! boat-owners1. They. & ref | paid- either* if
ri&nfeyj or with a proportion* o f the oystbrS. < cataghftfyyhicfr i
tfréf- také* th e chance Of .opening om-théiiS' .own,îaccoünt
fatter 'is the* rrfethod most commonly adopted-. The .agreements.;;
with the pébple who shire .out'thfe- boatsS are -ebiduefed! ;much
in i#ie' !samè" manner. -wTiiey') contract either toi^mceive' a certain
‘gtfrn 'fbt thë^us®' of theirboats, o r pay Ü^mhfefi:%yaçr offth^.
banks'a certain sum for .permissiomto-fish on th&ir ownraccpunt.;
Sotne "of Those" who pursue*- the latteF plan -aimfyeiy suG^sftfql}
and'bècôTfte rich Ç© white Jbtthers aré\ greafedosers by tthe *s|(écu^^r
ISèn. t©ystef lotteriescaretcarried *K)n*rhere tb*a great Extent,;
#fêy iconsist of purchàsingta- quantity-’of|thpd@ystersM\nnopened,
and running the chdn'oe of -* either finding, or - iron.fin4iqgf (pearls
iri them. -The European* officers and* «gentlemen,, who attend,
hete upon ’duty for through feuriosity, are particularly irfond^ o f
these *' lotteries, and very y frequently make. purchases o | this
soft.