gems, pearl, Ceylon, Sri Lanka, Gulf of Manaar

Markham describes the pearl fisheries of Tinnevelly (Tirunelveli) on the southeastern coast of India, an area historically associated with the celebrated pearl banks of the Gulf of Mannar. He discusses the geographical distribution of the oyster banks, the pearl oysters and their habitat, the organization and conduct of the fisheries, and the methods employed by divers in collecting oysters from the seabed. Attention is also given to the opening of the oysters, recovery and sorting of pearls, and the commercial importance of the fishery, together with the irregular productivity of individual banks and the need to regulate fishing to preserve them. The account provides a useful nineteenth-century description of the natural history, working practices, and economic significance of one of South Asia’s most important historic sources of natural pearls.