Austria,
Australia and Holland.

_Pearl Fishery._--Pearl oysters are found in the Tambalagam bay, near
Trincomalee, but the great banks on which these oysters are usually
found lie near Arippu, off the northern part of the west coast of
Ceylon, at a distance of from 16 to 20 m. from the shore. They extend
for many miles north and south, varying considerably in their size and
productiveness. It is generally believed that the oyster arrives at
maturity in its seventh year, that the pearl is then of full size and
perfect lustre, and that if the oyster be not then secured it will
shortly die, and the pearl be lost. It is certain that from some
unexplained cause the oysters disappear from their known beds for
years together. The Dutch had no fishery from 1732 to 1746, and it
failed them again for twenty-seven years from 1768 to 1796. The
fishery was again interrupted between 1820 and 1828, also from 1833 to
1854, from 1864 to 1873, and again from 1892 to 1900. The fishery of
1903 was the first since 1891, and produced a revenue of Rs.829,348,
being the third largest on record. In 1797 and 1798 the government
sold the privilege of fishing the oyster-beds for L123,982 and
L142,780 respectively. From that time the fishery was conducted by the
government itself until 1906, when it was leased to the Ceylon Pearl
Fisheries Company for twenty years at a rent of L20,000 a year.
Professor Herdman, F.R.S., was appointed to inquire and report on the
conservation and cultivation of the Ceylon pearl-oyster, and visited
Ceylon in January 1902. In consequence of his report, a marine
laboratory for the culture of the pearl oysters was established in
Galle harbour under the care of Mr Hornell.

_Mineral Industries._--Commercially there are two established mineral
industries:--(1) that of digging for precious stones; and (2) the much
more important industry of digging for plumbago or graphite, the one
mineral of commercial importance found. Further developments may
result in the shipment of the exceptionally pure iron ore found in
different parts of Ceylon, though still no coal has been found to be
utilized with it. Several places, too--Ruanwella, Rangalla, Rangbodde,
&c.--indicate where gold was found in the time of the Kandyan kings;
and geologists might possibly indicate a paying quartz reef, as in
Mysore. Owing to the greatly increased demand in Europe and America,