ther the
bivalves are "thin" or "thick"--to arrive at a safe hypothesis of what
the day's take has been, and also whether the oysters promise to be
fairly pearliferous. The opinions of two or three of these experts make
a basis for starting the prices at the auction in the evening, and these
"sharps" are seldom wrong in their estimate of what would be a safe
offer for a thousand chances in the great lottery of Asia.

The count in the kottu is soon completed, and each boat's catch is
divided into three piles, when an official selects two for the
government, and the third is so expeditiously removed that a quarter of
an hour later the share of the divers is being huckstered throughout the
camp to small speculators.

Upon each craft throughout the day has been a native watchman of
supposed honesty, in the government's employ, whose duty has been to see
that no oysters were surreptitiously opened on the banks or during the
run home. Suspicion of the extraction of pearls on the part of any
member of the crew leads to the police being informed, and an arrest
follows. A favorite way of hiding pearls is to tie the gems in a rag
attached to the anchor that is thrown overboard when the boat lands.
Another is to fasten a packet to a piece of rigging adroitly run to the
masthead, there to remain until opportunity permits the dishonest
schemer to remove it unobserved.

On their way to their sleeping quarters it is interesting to observe
divers stopping at boutiques and tea saloons for refreshments, paying
their score with oysters, extremely acceptable to the shopkeeper itching
to test his luck. In a small way, oysters pass current in the Cadjan
City as the equivalent of coins. Probably the variations in value lead
to fluctuations in exchange, but these are so keenly understood that the
quotations are apparently adjusted automatically, like exchange between
nations.

The sale is held in the building where the camp magistrate all the
afternoon has been dispensing justice in breaches of Marichchikkaddi's
morals--simple assaults, thieving, and other petty misdemeanors usual
to police courts. Punctually at sunset the auction begins. If the
universe offers a stranger gathering for which commerce is responsible,
it would be difficult to give it location. The gentle government agent
sits on the platform, and in front of the rostrum is the splendidly
appareled chief mudiliyar, to interpret between auctioneer and buyers.
The bidders-to-b