The Pandyan Kingdom from the Earliest Times to the Sixteenth Century c17.20

c17.20

From the earliest times the Pāndya country has been famous for its pearls and ‘Marco’s account of the pearl fishery is still substantially correct.’ He says: ‘In his (Sonder Bandi Davar’s) kingdom they find very fine and great pearls; and I will tell you how they are got. . . . The pearl-fishers take their vessels, great and small, and proceed into this gulf (between the island of Seilan and the mainland), where they stop from the beginning of April till the middle of May. They go first to a place called Bettelar, and (then) go sixty miles into the gulf. Here they cast anchor and shift from their large vessels into small boats. You must know that the many merchants who go divide into various companies, and each of these must engage a number of men on wages, hiring them for April and half of May. Of all the produce they have first to pay the King, as his royalty, the tenth part. And they must also pay those men who charm the great fishes, to prevent them from injuring the divers whilst engaged in seeking pearls under water, one-twentieth part of all that they take. These fish-charmers are termed Abraiaman (Brahman); and their charm holds good for that day only, for at night they dissolve the charm so that the fishes can work mischief at their will. . . . When the men have got into the small boats they jump into the water and dive to the bottom which may be at a depth of from four to twelve fathoms, and there they remain as long as they are able. And there they find the shells that contain the pearls and these they put into a net bag tied round the waist, and mount up to the surface with them, and then dive anew. When they can’t hold their breath any longer they come up again, and after a little, down they go once more, and so they go on all day. . . . In this manner pearls are fished in great quantities, for thence in fact come the pearls which are spread all over the world. And I can tell you the King of that State hath a very great receipt and treasure from his dues upon those pearls.' 'Moreover nobody is permitted to take out of the kingdom a pearl weighing more than half a saggio unless he manages to do it secretly. This order has been given because the King desires to reserve all such to himself; and so in fact the quantity he has is something almost incredible. Moreover several times every year he sends his proclamation through the realm that if any one who possesses a pearl or stone of great value will bring it to him, he will pay for it twice as much as it cost. Everybody is glad to do this, and thus the King gets all into his own hands, giving every man his price.'