Council Bluffs bugle. [volume] (City of Council Bluffs, Iowa) 1853-1857, 1855-11-27
From the Correspondence of the Boston Jour. ]
Pearl-d~hing at CeYfoa.
Nancy. JAFFSA, CEYLoN,
June Is. 1855.


Nancy, JATFSA, CKYLoS,
June Is. 1855.
Within few months past, We have heard
much of the pear fishery III this island
There had pcen none for nearly twenty yrs.
mast. and il was therefore quite a novelty 10
3 large portion Of the present generation, and
many who could, visited the spot to see the
actual s'6shing'' of the pearl oyster on the
borders Of Cevlcn. The total value of all
the pearIs obtained was little short Of Ill,
0O.
We arrived on Friday night, the 9th Of
March bat no fishing was begun until the
following Tuesday, when p boats were sent
out at Il O'Clock in the night, all Of them
starting At the sigma of a gun; they return
ed Yesterday afternoon loaded, and che oyS-
tiers were all placed in wha; are called kut-
toos, which are nothing but Enclosures form
ed If high sticks. 1t was TOO late 10 sell
them. but they are to be put up III public
auction to day ut about twelve. Il is expect,
cd taey will fetch about three to- four rounds
q thousand. Ii was though. that each boat
veala lave brought IN about ten thousand
oysters, but they have nj brought L. any
thing like the number. Each boat load is
divided into four equal parts, on It's arrival,
Of which three are chosen fer the Govern
ment, and the fourth share Is again suldIsld
Ell among the divers, master, aud crew of the
vessel, who are twenty-five ~ number y
rife soldier accompanies every fishing boat
to prevent any underhanI work. he boat
meu got taeir share hast NIGH, and the ex.
element was most iatease as they passed a.
long the beach with their baSkeg full on their
hsads. Hunareds, OF natives were trying to
purchase the oysters, and they were sold at
the absurd rate Of sixpcnce apiece, or tween
ty-hvs pounds thousand.
The fishery was delayed until sample Of
400 oysters, which had been sent for the
puryoss, had been washed, and the result as
csrtxined. This was done ON Saturday, and
about 800 pearls were found Of different
sizes, but Inost of them were seedlings.
Saw one large one only III the sample, about
tie size Oh a moderate pea, but tic pearls ere
Of Il most beautiful color, possessing 4Gjt.
metallic lustre, resembling g5ohaies Of mcr-
cury rather than pearls. The sample was
considered a good one on the Whole, AMI
there was a great meeting at the Cu.chegEv
Yesterday of the Government a-eat ana all
the great ones among thu natives to y4!uc
them. This IS done by passing them through
sieves If different sorts to ascertain tLeIr
size They are then weighed and their shape
aud color taken into consideration. The
former is best Wheu Il il most round, and
the pearls color IS estimated ly IFS metallic
lastre. The large pearl was valued at five
pounds, odd, and all the rest at little more
than one pound; the produce IT the ! 500
Mas put down at GG12; but believe tina, il
il veil known that they are worth cousilrr-
ably more, the large une alone being worth
about Is
Il is said that the banks are in from eight
to nine fathoms Of water. 4 diver goes
down with a stone attached 20 his feet and
a basket. When reaches the bottom, the
stone Is pulled up and he begins 70 pick up
the oysters, choosing oalv the fall grown
ones. When they are picked un, a sign /,
given, and then tha basket IS hauled up By
the boatmen, nnd thc diver esther c.:r-s 10
it or springs ~ Of himself. He then hangs
on the side Of the boat FOR two or three min
utes TO get his breath, and down he goes a
gain. This they do about twenty times in
succession, by which time they become dead
beaten, aAd throw themselves down in the
boat in perfect state OF exhaustion, and
other divers take their place They remain
down on an average of 4 TO 81 seconds. the
loagest that was timed Yesterday being BE-
lleye, 81. This time sli-Etly increases as
they become more tracticed; but from 50 to
50 is tho longest time that diver vas ever
known to remain under the water. and that
is wonderful with pressure or 80 or 60 feet
Of water over his head
The oyster is not bit like the common
oyster, and the she'll is scollop-shayed, beau
tIfuly lined with mother Of pearl. The ovs-
- So av,ly ~ II Z.
large one, it Is impossible to find it in the
fresh oyster, on account OF the mass Of slime,
&c. The proper plan is TO allow The oyster
10 decay; about the third day the stencil is
harrible, but it gradually lesseHs. and by the
tenth day everything IS converted into sort
OF sIush excepting the shell and the pearl IL
self. This is stirred roughly about, and all
tile pearls, huweFcr small, fall through TO
the Bottom. All this filth IS poured of isto
q vessel, and the larger pearls at once found
at tho bottom: the smaller ones are not all
collected until this filth has been washed O.
ser and over again. Every lltle household
er il allowed 20 erect knltoO behind hisown
hank SHE'LL as the houses are termed, aud
you may fancy hog polluted the atmosphere
viii become when the oysters begin TO decay,
heaps OF them belng spread over the surface
OF the and, in tho very centre of dense
population which should say cannotb be less
liam L., coo.
That pearl fishing Is prec arious business
ottsry. likA--,s shown from the fact that
~hsls $50 pearls hare been found in one oys-
ser lSo oysters have been opened without
Producing single pearl 1t il said that the
peaa oyster dolbles in value from the 6fth
- me axth year, and again doubles II it
Y1seh the seventh. The divers can 20 down
- fourteen fa,homs of water but from four
- e'Shi Feet Is the proper dep,hfor pearl fish