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HISTORY OF TIXXEYELLY.
Chatter III. stone at one end. Then a man having his ears well stopped, and his body anointed with oil, and a basket hanging to his neck or under his left arm, goes down to the bottom of the sea along the rope, and fills his basket with oysters as fast as he can. "When that is full, he shakes the rope, and his companions draw him up with the basket. The divers follow each other in succession in this manner till the boat is loaded with oysters, and they return at evening to the fishing village. Then each boat or company makes their heaps of oysters at some distance from each other, so that a long row of great heaps of oysters are seen piled along the shore. These are not touched till the fishing is over, when each compan}' sits down beside its own heap, and falls to opening the oyster, which is now easy, as the fish within are all dead and dry. If every oyster had pearls in them it would be a profitable occupation, but there are many which have none. There are certain persons called Chitini (Chettis) who are learned in pearls ; and are enipkryed to sort and value them according to their weight, beauty, and goodness, dividing them into four sorts. The first sort which are round are named aia of Portugal, as they are bought by the Portuguese. The second, which are not round, are named aia of Bengal. The third, which are inferior to the second, are called aia of Canara, which is the name of the kingdom of Bijanagur or Narsinga, into which they are sold. And the fourth, or lowest kind, is called aia of Cambaia, 1 being sold into the country. Thus sorted, and prices affixed to each, there are merchants from all countries ready with their money, so that in a few days all the pearls are bought up according to their goodness and weight." The author of the Eeport on the Tinnevelly Census, in which the above is included, observes of this description of the pearl fishery that it is " as applicable to the method of procedure at the present day, as when it was written nearly 300 years ago, except that from some causes but little understood the banks of recent years have unfortunately ceased to furnish a supply of the valuable oysters yielding the pearl of commerce." TuTICORIX UXDER THE PORTUGUESE. The first appearance of the Portuguese in force in Tuticorin was in 1532, when the fleet despatched from Cochin broke the power of the Muhammadans along the coast and the Paravas were baptised by Father Michael Vaz and his assistant priests. The number said to have been baptised Avas, as has been said, 20,000 inhabiting thirty villages from Cape Comorin northwards. Of tins.
1 It is not oli ai what word was meant by "ia. Haya, horse, was the title of the first of eight varieties of pearls sent hy king Devenipiatissa in B.C. 306 to King Asoka. .See Emerson Tcnnent's Ceylon. Each of C;esar Frederic's varieties. however, was called the aia of such and such a kingdom. Can the ordinary word Bya (in Tamil ayam), which means "tax" have been int. mlcd? This is the impression of the Tuticorin traders-, as they say the tax to the Portuguese, &c, was paid in n.urls.
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