lowed this trade to Kamtfhatka, for the space of a year, ufually came back with a profit of thirty thoufand rubles and upwards. This fuperfluity, however, fince the firft Kamtfhadale expedition, or fince the year 1740, has confiderably diminished: but notwithstanding this, that peninfula and the circumjacent territory continues to be the richeft in fables, as, on account of the mountains, they cannot be fo eafily caught, and are prevented by the bordering fea from retiring to other tracts. The manner in which the fables of Kamtshatka are taken is extremely fimple. The Kamthadales follow the track of this animal in fnow-fhoes, till they have detected his covert, which is generally a burrow in the earth. As foon as the little creature is aware of his purfuer, he efcapes into a hollow tree, which the hunter furrounds with a net, and then either cuts it entirely down, or forces the fable by fire and finoke to abandon his retreat, when he falls into the net and is killed.

During my unfortunate abode (lays Steller) on Behring's ifland, I had opportunities more than enough for ftudying the nature of this animal, far excelling the common fox in impudence, cunning, and roguery. The narrative of the innumerable tricks they played us, might eafily vie with Albertus Julius's hiftory of the apes on the island of Saxenburg. They forced themselves into our habitations by night as well as day, ftealing all that they could carry off; even things that were of no ufe to them, as knives, fticks, our clothes, &c. They were fo inconceivably ingenious as to roll down our calks of provifions, feveral poods in weight, and then steal the meat out of them fo ably, that at

firft we could not bring ourselves to afcribe the theft to them. As we were stripping an animal of his skin, it often happened that we could not avoid ftabbing two or three foxes, from their rapacity in tearing the fleth out of our hands. If we buried it ever fo carefully, and added ftones to the weight of earth that was upon it, they not only found it out, but fhoved away the stones, as men would have done, with their fhoulders, and lying under them, helped one another with all their might. If, thinking to fecure it, we put any on the top of a high poft in the air, they grubbed up the earth at the bottom, fo that the poft and all came tumbling down, or one of them clambered up and threw down what was upon it with incredible artifice and dexterity. They watched all our motions, and accompanied us in whatever we were about to do. If the fea threw up an animal of any kind, they devoured it, ere a man of us could come up; to our great difadvantage: and, if they could not confume it all at once, they trailed it away in portions to the mountains where they buried it under ftones before our eyes; running to and fro as long as any thing remained to be conveyed away. While this was doing, others flood upon guard and watched us. If they faw any one coming at a distance, the whole troop combined at once and began digging all together in the fand, till they had fo fairly put a beaver, or a fea-bear, under the furface, that not a trace of it was to be feen. If we laid down as if intending to fleep, they came and fmelled at our nofes, to try whether we were dead or alive; if we held our breath, they gave fuch a tug to the note as if they would bite it off. Bb 4

On

On our first arrival, they bit off the nofes, the fingers and toes of our dead, while we were preparing the grave; and thronged in fuch a manner about the infirm and the fick, that it was with difficulty we could keep them off. Every morning we faw thefe audacious animals patrolling about among the fea-lions and fea-bears lying on the ftrand, fmelling at fuch as were afleep, to difcover whether fome of them might not be dead; if that happened to be the cafe, they proceeded to diffect him immediately, and prefently after all were at work in dragging the parts away: because the fea-lions of a night, in their fleep, frequently overlay their young, they examine, as if conscious of this circumftance, every morning the whole herd of them, one by one, and immediately drag away the dead cubs from their dams. When thefe bufy animals could not get hold on what they wanted, for example, the clothes we occafionally put off, they voided their excrements upon it, and then scarcely one of the reft paffed by without doing the fame. From all circumftances it was clear to us, that they could never before have seen a human being, and that the dread of man is not innate in the brutes, but must be grounded on long experience.

It was generally fuppofed that the renter would be infallibly ruined, as the fum he paid for the present fishery was thought exorbitant when compared with what had been for merly given; but this conjecture in the event appeared ill founded, as it proved extremely profitable and lucrative.

The farmer this time was a Tamel merchant, who for the privilege of fishing with more than the ufual number of donies or boats, paid between two and three hundred thou fand Porto-novo pagodas, a fum nearly double the ulual rent.

Thefe boats he farmed out again to individuals in the best manner be could, but for want of a fufficient number of divers, fome of them could not be employed.

The fishing, which commonly began about the middle of Febru ary, if wind and weather allowed, was this year, for various reasons, delayed till the end of the month; yet to favourable was the weather, that the renter was able to take advantage of the permillion granted by the agreement, to fish a little longer than the ufual period of thirty days.

The fibery cannot well be continued after the fetting in of the fouthern monfoon, which ufually happens about the 15th of April, as, after that time, the boats would not be able to reach the pearl-banks, and the water being then so troubled by heavy feas, diving would be impracticable; in addition to which, the fea-weed, a fpecies of fucus, driven in by the foutherly wind, and which spreads to a confiderable diftance from the fhore, would be an impediment.

Many of the divers, being Roman Catholics, leave the fishery on Sun

days

days to attend divine fervice in their church at Aripoo; but if either a Mahomedan or Hindoo feftival happens during the fifhing days, or if it is interrupted by ftormy weather, or any other accident, this loft time is made up by obliging the Catholics to work on Sundays.

The fear of fharks, as we fhall fee hereafter, is also another caufe of interruption. Thefe, amongst fome others, are the reafons that, out of two months, (from February till April,) feldom more than thirty days can be employed in the fiftiery. As this time would be infufficient to fish all the banks (each of which has its appropriate name, both in Dutch and Tamul,) it is carried on for three or four fucceffive years, and a new contract annually made till the whole banks have been fifhed, after which they are left to

recover.

The length of time required for this purpose, or from one general fithing to another, has not yet been exactly determined; it was, therefore, a practice to depute fome perfons to visit the banks annually, and to give their opinion, whether a fishery might be undertaken with any degree of fuccefs? *

From various accounts, which I have collected from good authority, and the experience of thofe who affifted at fuch examinations, I conjecture, that every feven years fuch a general fishery could be attempted with advantage, as this interval feems fufficient for the pearl-fhells to attain their growth: I am also confirmed in this opinion, by a re

port made by a Dutch governor at Jafnas of all the fisheries that have been undertaken at Ceylon fince 1722; a tranflation of which is to be found in Wolfe's Travels into Ceylon. But the ruinous condition in which the divers leave the pearlbanks at each fishery, by attending only to the profit of individuals, and not to that of the public, is one great caufe, that it requires twice the above mentioned space of time, and fometimes longer, for rendering the fishing productive. They do not pay the leaft attention, to fpare the young and immature fells that contain no pearl; heaps of them are feen thrown out of the boats as ufelefs, on the beach between Manâr+ and Aripoo; if these had been fuffered to remain in their native beds, they would, no doubt, have produced many fine pearls. It might, therefore, be advifeable, to oblige the boat people to throw them into the fea again, before the boats leave the bank. If this circumfpection, in fparing the fmall pearl-fhells, to perpetuate the breed was always obferved, fucceeding fifcries might be expected fooner, and with full greater fuccefs: but the neglect of this fimple precaution will, I fear, be attended with fimilar fatal confequences here, as have already happened to the pearl-banks on the coast of Perfia, South America, and Sweden, where the fisheries are by no means fo profitable at prefent as they were formerly.

Another cause of the deftruction of numbers of both old and young pearl-fhells, is the anchoring of to

fleeping; the other had faftened round that member, which decency forbids me to mention, a brafs ring, and fixed to it was a chain, of a fathom in length, trailing on the ground, the links of this chain were as thick as a man's finger, and the whole was exhibited in a moft scandalous manner.

The peftilential fmell occafioned by the numbers of putrifying pearlfiles, renders the atmosphere of Condatchey fo infufferably offenfive when the fouth-weft wind blows, that it fenfibly affects the olfactory nerves of any one unaccustomed to fuch cadavorous finelis. This putrefaction generates immenfe numbers of worms, flies, mufkitoes, and other vermin; all together forming a fcene frongly difpleafing to the fenfes.

Those who are not provided with a fufficient tock of money fuffer great hardships, as not only all kinds of provifions are very dear, but even every drop of good water muft be paid for. Thole who drink the brackish water of this place are often attacked by ficknefs. It may easily be conceived what an effect the extreme heat of the day, the cold of the night, the heavy dews, and the putrid fmell, must have no weak conftitutions. It is, there fore, no wonder that of those who fall fick many die, and many more return home with fevers, fluxes, or other equally fatal diforders.

The many difappointments, ufually experienced by the lower claffes of men in particular, make them of

ten repent of their coming here. They are oftened ruined, as they rifk all they are worth to purchase pearl-fhells; however, there are many inftances of their making a fortune beyond all expectation. A particular circumftance of this kind fell within my own obfervation: a day-labourer bought three oifters * for a copper fanam (about the value of two-pence) and was fo fortunate as to find one of the largest pearls which the fishery produced this feafon.

The donies appointed for the flery are not all procured at Ceylon; many came from the coafts of Coromandel and Malabar, each of which has its diftinguishing number. About ten o'clock at night a gun is fired as a fignal, when they fail from Condatchy with an eafterly or land wind, under the direction of a pilot. If the wind continues fair, they reach the bank before day, and begin diving at fun-rife, which they continue till the weft or fea breeze fets in, with which they return, The moment they appear in fight, the colours are hoified at the flagstaff, and in the afternoon they come to an anchor, so that the owners of the boats are thereby enabled to get their cargoes out before night, which may amount to 30,000 oifters, if the divers have been active and fuccefsful.

Each boat carries twenty-one men and five heavy diving ftones, for the ufe of ten divers, who are called, in Tamul, kooly kárer, the reft of the crew confifts of a tandel, or head boat-man, and ten rowers, who

affift in lifting up the divers and

their fhells.

The diving flone is a piece of coarfe granite, a foot long, fix inches thick, and of a pyramidical fhape, round at the top and bottom. A large hair rope is put through a hole in the top. Some of the divers ufe another kind of stone, shaped like a half moon, to bind round their belly, fo that their feet may be free. At prefent thefe are articles of trade at Condatchey. The moft common, or pyramidical ftone, generally weighs about thirty pounds. If a boat has more than five of them, the crew are either corporally punished or fined..

The diving, both at Ceylon and at Tutucorin, is not attended with fo many difficulties as authors imagine. The divers, confifting of different cafts and religions, (though chicfly of Parrawer and Mullilmans,) neither make their bodies fmooth with oil, nor do they fop their ears, mouths, or nofes, with any thing, to prevent the entrance of falt water. They are ignorant of the utility of diving bells, bladders, and double flexible pipes. According to the injunctions of the thark conjurer they ufe no food while at work, nor till they return on fhore, and have bathed themfelves in fresh water. Thefe Indians, accustomed to dive from their earlieft infancy, fearlefly defcend to the bottom in a depth of, from five to ten fathoms, in fearch of treafures. By two cords a diving ftone and a net are connected with the boat. The diver putting the toes of his right foot on the hair rope of the diving ftone, and thofe of his left on the net, feizes the two

cords with one hand, and fhutting his noftrils with the other, plunges into the water. On reaching the bottom, he hangs the net round his neck, and collects into it the pearlfhells as faft as pollible, during the time he finds himfelf able to remain under water, which ufually is about two minutes. He then refumes his former pofture, and making a fignal, by pulling the cords, he is immediately lifted into the boat. On emerging from the fea, he difcharges a quantity of water from his mouth and nofe, and those who have not been long enured to diving frequently difcharge fome blood; but this does not prevent them from diving again in their turn. When the first five divers come up and are refpiring the other five are going down with the fame ftones. Each brings up about one hundred oifters in his net, and if not interrupted by any accident, may make fifty trips in a forenoon. They and the boat's crew get generally, from the owner, inftead of money, a fourth of the quantity they bring on fhore; but fome are paid in cash, according to agreement.

The moft fkilful divers come. from Collifh, on the coaft of Malabar; fome of them are so much exercifed in the art, as to be able to perform it without the affistance of the ufual weight; and for a handfome reward will remain under water for the space of feven minutes; this I faw performed by a Caffre boy, belonging to a citizen at Karical, who had often frequented the fisheries of thefe banks. Though Dr. Halley deems this impoffible, daily experience convinces us, that, by long practice, any man

may