with Tuticorin for fully 500 years the honour of being one of the two great pearl markets of the coast — the one being the Moor, the other the Parava, head-quarters . . . . Menezes, writing in 1622, states that for many years the fisheries had become extinct because of the great poverty into which the Paravas had fallen. Tuticorin, and the sovereignty of the pearl banks and of the Paravas, passed to the Dutch in 1658.
In the report of the pearl fishery, 1708, the following entries occur in the list of free stones according to ancient customs: —
- 96½ to the Naick of Madura — 4 Xtian, 92½ Moorish;
- 10 to Head Moorman of Cailpatnam — 5 Xtian, 5 Moorish.
- 60 to Theuver — 60 Moorish.
- 185 to the Pattangatyns of this coast — all Xtian stones.
"The 185 stones," Mr. Hornell writes, "given to the Pattangatyns or headmen of the Paravas was in the nature of remuneration to these men for assistance in inspecting the banks, in guarding any oyster banks discovered, in recruiting divers, and in superintending operations during the course of the fishery .... In 1889, the Madras Government recorded its appreciation of the assistance rendered by the Jati Talaivan, and directed that his privilege of being allowed the take of two boats be continued. Subsequently, in 1891, the Government, while confirming the general principle of privilege remuneration to the Jati Talaivan, adopted the more satisfactory regulation of placing the extent of the remuneration upon the basis of a sliding scale, allowing him but one boat when the Government boats numbered 30 or less, two for 31 to 60 boats, three for 61 to 90
