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Updated: June 24, 2025
The men who sort and price them have a copper instrument with holes of various sizes, by which they estimate their several values. In this sea of the pearl-fishery there is an island called Manaar, over-against Ceylon, inhabited by Christians who were formerly Gentiles, and in which island there is a small fort belonging to the Portuguese.
Of the Pearl Fishery in the Gulf of Manaar. The men along the coast which extends from Cape Comorin to the low land of Chioal , and the island of Zeilan or Ceylon, is called the pearl-fishery. This fishery is made every year, beginning in March or April, and lasts fifty days.
The description of the treasures of Cathay and Cipango, of the celestial town of Quinsay and the province of Mango, which had fired the admiral's ambition in early life, pursued him like phantoms in his declining days. New Cadiz, the principal seat of the pearl-fishery, was on an island which has again become uninhabited. The extremity of the rocky coast of Paria is also a desert.
Tricking elephants into captivity may be the sport of grandees, but the chance to gamble over the contents of the humble oyster of the Eastern seas invites participation from the meekest plucker of tea-buds on Ceylon's hill-slopes to the lowliest coolie in Colombo. Verily, the pearl-fishery is the sensational event of that land sung of by Bishop Heber.
During the progress of a pearl-fishery, this singular and dreary expanse becomes suddenly enlivened by the crowds who congregate from distant parts of India; a town is improvised by the construction of temporary dwellings, huts of timber and cajans , with tents of palm leaves or canvas; and bazaars spring up, to feed the multitude on land, as well as the seamen and divers in the fleets of boats that cover the bay.
Those adhering to the shell of the oyster are more irregular in shape, and are sold by weight. Lastly, in a lower order are classed those small pearls known under the name of seed-pearls; they are sold by measure, and are especially used in embroidery for church ornaments." "But," said Conseil, "is this pearl-fishery dangerous?"
The latter name shows that the admiral had obtained the correct information from the natives of Paria respecting the locality of the pearl-fishery. But the current carried him far to the westward, and on August 19th he sighted the coast fifty leagues to leeward of the new capital.
State lotteries are pretty well relegated in these times to Latin countries, everybody knows. Yet the world's most gigantic gamble, pregnantly fruitful with chance in all variations and shadings, is unquestionably the Ceylon pearl-fishery; compared with it, any state lottery pales to insignificance.
This pearl-fishery belongs to the King of the country, but is controlled by a Jewish official. Thence it is seven days' journey to Khulam which is the beginning of the country of the Sun-worshippers . These are the sons of Cush, who read the stars, and are all black in colour. They are honest in commerce.
Although the Conway River was anciently a celebrated pearl-fishery, slate-making, as at Caernarvon, is now the chief industry of the town. There are many other historic places in Caernarvonshire, and also splendid bits of rural and coast scenery, while the attractions for the angler as well as the artist are almost limitless.
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