New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-01-08
The -Poarl-ntrera a. e.erln1..

tance being raised several feet in height By The sc-
cnmulation Of oyster shells for ages past.
The boats used by the divers, l8g in number,
were drawn up in two sqgadrons, opposite the
Government buildings. One squadron ia told off
for each days fishing and ge:s under weigh at
midnight, when sganl gun is ffea--a bFeeSe
generally springs up at that time, enabling thaIa
reach the Pearl banks IL miles from the shore, By
daylight The boats are all numbered, aid anchor
IN q line, when diving commences mme1iaEely-
Eacr boat has five sfnkfng stones Y and two Divers
are told off to each stone, which weighs about 40
pounds. They do not dive alternately, too mncfs
time would be lost by changing, but when one
man is tired the other takes his place. They afs-
card all accessories for closing te ears and nos-
trilz and The diver descends by placing his feet
tached His movements are watched BY his COM
rade, who draws up the stone the moTnent the
diver reaches the bottom then the net basket H
which the oysters are depoaEed, the diver hasseBE
facilitating his own ascent bg the same means.
After holding on to oar, or floating for minute
or so, to recover his wind, he is ready for another
plunge. Most of the divers Tamils. and far
from being of miserable appearance, are mostly
stout healthy Accidents from sharks are Of
very rare occurrence, contrary to our preconeeTe6
notions the subject, only one authenticated fatal
case having occurred since Ceglon came nto
British possession
Ridiculous tales4 have been told and believed re-
specting the length of time the diyersreman undea
water, some giving the average as two Dinatesz
others asserting that as much as seven minutes
submersion has been achieved. The utmost ever
accomplished by the present less amphibious race
is eighty five seconds, fifty seconds being the ordt-
nary duration of g dive.
!. So large number of divers are cit work at enee
that they must trnst to chance for filing their nets
in the muddy water; all kinds of curious marines
r animals-sea.slugs. black, greasy and hiaeous,
strange poypi and and beaHtIial be- shslsa eo1g
5 AS many as sixty-fYe Of these have been broughs
G up in one haul, but the average number seldom
exceeds fifteen or twenty.
Properly speaking, it is not an oyster at AL bak
: a member of the mnssei family, ifs correct aesig
r nation being the MezeaggtaG 'fsargqrTtHerd, The
: shells are of reddisrbrown color, and have
e deeper and more clearly defined hinges than the
f common oyster, which to aBsciensic eyes II great
ly resembles. 1t possesses curious kind OF sucker
h or leg by1neans Of which it can accomplish sIew
progress over the bottom OF the sea, blulshgreeEa
tassel (byssuS) enabling it to attach itself to any
d object that takes Its fancy. The byssus il brDken
n having the power Of reproducing IT when again
e desirous of remaining stationary. They are, hoF
e ever generally found loose by the diver, in which
e case they are easily transferred TO the nets.
G According to the natives, its most formidable
S enemy is a fish whom nature has provided with ~
kind of gimlet on its nose with which it boreB3
j. through the SHE'LL sucking out it's Juicy contents
through the hole. They are also said 10 fan Ne
tins TO kind Of eoneh i've or six inches i1T
. length, which devours the oyster shell and als.
They may may do -, some damage a snogg tha gs5T soa
probably proves as lasting a meal to a c8neh IS
d. a buck with fine antlers to d boa constructor.
G The divers work steadily for about aiS honEs
70 A gun is fired signal for the fishing 10 cease
- d final and simultaneous plHnge il made BY the
~ Divers and the little fotilia gets under or
y the beach, each boat it arrives delivering 5s5
~ precious freight at the government Y kottsa. 0T
+ + receiving yard large, open pallsaded enelAsures
with sentry at M each eiza gasa 4 Fas ~ as s
al equal lots, Of which is the remuneration t0
= which the divers are entitled, and for this they
N provide boats and boatmen This share u Hsnally
lie st once sold by them at retail prices outside Tho
q gates higher prices being obtained for them than
= those fetched at the government sales, where only
thousands are talked about.
d. The oysters inTne ediateiy removed fsy fheiT
$, purchasers to their own private yards where's If
ts time be given, they are left till all the animal
le matter has decomposed ANA disappeared. Some
~ considerable time must necessarily elapsa before
all this is accomplished even in tropical country q
or and in many cases. therefore, the pearls are oh
4 tanned from the oysters by & washing process
th which takes place when they are in an advanced
b. stage of decomposition. II is conducted On tho
n same principle as that employed with gold found
in in sand or aluyial deposits. They are reHloged
We into large tubs, canoes heWn from solid iBgs
NJ the shells picked out care being taken to pre-
Id serve those to which pearls are found adhsring.
'rt Water is then freely applied the oathsome mass
being well stirred up by hand till the pearls are
Ill freed from all adhesive matter and precipitatet to
ms the bottom where, after the liquid has been poured
Ter off they disclosed to the excited anxious gaze
y, of the proprietor.
Iis ELopEMEsr IN NEW YonK-tsAHs TYfa ma!
ed Ends WeU.n-Qdite an excitement, says the Rev
nd York Times of Monday, was caused at jersey City
he on Saturday among certain circles, consequent
he upon an attempted elopement of Young sontherr
a gentleman with blooming young miss OF fifteen
summers, adopted daughter Of Mir. Isaac
Woolfe, of No. II Grand street. Mrs. Woolfe, who
he is the sister of an exiudge Of New Yqrk y said to
70 have planned the eopement without the know
ledge or consent OF her husband, an very nearly
succeeded in her plans. The knowledge Of The All.
fit fair coming to the ears Of friend, Se OF once re-
ee paired to Williamsburg where Mr. Wooife is en.
Ike gagged constructing city railroad and informed
irl him Of what about to take place Mr.. Woofe
lid hurried at to jersey City, and with
In1ft han tal rf,9F
OF proceed to the ferry and wait for the TunaW1ys
oe Hardly had he arrived there when cart, contain
ing large box ana some trunks belonging to
I'M the Southern gentleman and his fair one,
M After some talk it was decided, in order to pre-
to vent the matter from becoming public, to have the
he baggage removed to Mr. Gafmey stable, there to
await further action. The indignant father, the
ed gentleman from the sunny South, and Mr.. JGllfe,
M then repaired to the office of the latter and two
ut. hours occupied in consultation. The father
pit was very angry, refused to be Teeonciled to the
his union and, it is said used some very strong ian
'er guage The young southerner protested that his
ed Intentions were honorable, and in the eiopeIaena
ok Mrs Woolfe Mfr. W Woolfe was finally prevailed nper
M to give his consent to the marriage, which he did
on after examining the baggage. The box contained
nd an outfit, consisting of bedding, etc, which had
cir been furnished by Mrs. Woolfe and the trunks th2
ith young ladys wearing apparel. The happy couple
er were united at P. NJ and short time afierHaEd
3nt steamer for Richmond, Va. The young man s y
ly. wears Of age and is said to be connected with
Ok highly respectable family in Rlehmond.
nd THE COUNTESS DELLA ToRRE.-A captain of en-
raj gineers of the name of Theodore Fix, and will
whom had contracted q friendship, was aeripnsi5
ed wounded by musket balls in the fight Of the ist
g. October, while repusing the enemy at st Angelic
in | heard that he was at Caserta, at the Palazz4
ny Mont and called to see him. The Mont palaes
he is the finest mansion at Caserta, with the eSeep
ay ton of the royal habtation. | was eondaiaet
through several large rooms till | reached tht
pat chamber occupied by my unfortunate friend whom
| r dctra trha a bAd
D. of his wound 1t was late in the evening. Onl
on soldier attendant held a lamp, while the secont
t spread out the necessary bandages on fhe aaDla
ed Some one was evidently expected. nataraii.
try concluded it must be surgeon. Suddenly WI
heard noise in the ante chamber: the sound re
sembled the clatter of a sabre. The door opened
,,,. and q lady entered, who looked very much as
na she was costumed after the fashion Of the eele
ost brated stauette of Joan of Arc. She wore kim
W of tunie reaching to the knee and over all dTa
ane perry like the robe of the Roman DANES OF oil
~ which was capable of being wrapped around III
Of person in fifty different ways The sabre thas h,
Auu And to conclude, this eccentric parsonage wa