File 2830/1914 Pt 2 'Persian Gulf: Pearl Fisheries. Investigation into Alleged Depletion of Pearl Banks. Germans and the Industry. Concessions, etc.' [‎257v] (527/578)

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The steam launch would be able to do all the steaming, towing, &c., at inspections that may
be required The onteide cost I estimate at Rs. 25,000, exclusive of the first cost of the steam
launch, viz.:—
Vessel
Supervisor ... •••
Steam launch, annual expenditure
Buoys, apparatus, divers, coxswains
Rs.
10,000
5,000
5,000
5,000
Total ... 25,000
T , , ,,, •i.v, OOAnnT nv the cost would not much exceed Rs. 20,000, as I think
it woul?be7ouu h d 0 7oSle toTharL a visel for Rs. 8,000, and the annual charge for the steam
launch ought not to be so much as Rs. 5,000.
Work on Banks to be carried on as much as possible under Canvas.
Work on the banks should be carried on ^
“^e availing ^ be required in addition to
tie ‘"The clfoT^ecS^U^^treUndboats before 1841, asgiven by Captain Steuart (p. 33),
amounted to £1,600 per annum ; but to that must be added 7ar at^easfc For
the shape of privileges at the fisheries, which amounted fro , . r'.op-p. -.Ly 1050 d
instance, the amount realized by the fishery headmen during the fisheries of I 800 , 1 85 r j ’ 1 ^
I860 would have given them at the rate of £300 to £400 a year from 1837 to i860, ihis amount had
to be divided between five of them according to their rank.
Supervisor: care necessary in selection of Person for.
Of course much (I may almost say all) must depend on the character, disposition, ami qualifi
cations of the officer who may be appointed Supervisor, if such an appointment be made. He mus
be a steady man of temperate habits, zealous in the discharge of his duties, and possessed of tact and
judgment to deal with the native crew of his vessel and the launch and with the divers and boat
men at an inspection and a fishery.
European Divers.
An intelligent, well-behaved, professional European diver would no doubt at times and on
certain occasions be of great service on the banks. It is absurd to suppose, however, that loafers
nicked up in the streets of Colombo, who had never had a diving dress on them, and who had never
seen a pearl oyster or been on a pearl bank in their lives, could be suddenly transformed into divers
and be expected to give intelligent and reliable reports of the state of the banks.
The Ceylon Government has not been fortunate in the matter of the European divers employed
on the pearl banks. Europeans or Eurasians of intemperate habits are worse than useless, they are
positively mischievous.
Note.
From a memorandum in Captain Steuart’s “ Account,” pages 74 and 75,1 find that the estimated
cost of guarding, surveying, and managing the pearl banks amounted to per annum £1,321. This
included pay of Supervisor £200, diving bell expenses £47, and cost of vessel £885.
As regards vessels, he made the following remark, viz.:—“For several years two Govern
ment vessels were alternately employed guarding the pearl banks and in other duties, such as the
convevances of stores and troops. Now we have only the smaller one, and she is occasionally employed
on other Government duty. But as I am sure it is absolutely necessary to have a vessel for the pearl
banks, I include the annual expense of this vessel.”
The estimated expenses for nine years, from 1826 to 1834, amounted to £13,231, including work
ing charges of diving bell. Including cost of diving bell the estimate comes to £15,000 ; annual
charge £1,600.
Considering the increase in the price of labour, cost of materials, &c., since 1834, the estimate
I have given, which includes the working of a steam launch, is not out of the way, viz., Rs. 25,000.
Captain Steuart’s estimate (at present rate of wages) should be increased at least 25 per cent.,
and to this should be added the amount received by headmen as privileges which have been
abolished, all remuneration now being paid in money.
Permanent Marks recommended, at Kudiramalai, &c.
Much of the mystery which seemed to hang over the pearl banks was owing, as I believe, to
the want of defined landmarks. From the account given by Captain Steuart of the wrong bank having
been fished in 1836, the one to be fished having been missed and two beds of young oysters fished
instead, I feel satisfied that the mistake made arose from the want of fixed landmarks to which
bearings could be taken. Sketches of the land referred to by Captain Steuart as having been given
by him to the Supervisor for his guidance are all very well in their way, but sketches of certain objects
on the land taken by one person from the main top of a small brig, the land and the objects being
scarcely visible from the deck, are not very reliable guides for another person to find beds of oysters
on a bank twelve miles from the land.
From my first experience of work on the pearl banks during the inspection of November, 1862,
I have felt that certain fixed, well-defined, unmistakable landmarks were much needed, to which
bearings might be taken from all parts of the banks.
I was much struck with the difficulty experienced by the Supervisor, Mr. Worsley, in finding
the bank it was proposed to fish in 1863, although apparently it had been very carefully inspected by
him in March, 1862, and I was informed on my return from England in 1861 that the fishery of I860