The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-08-03

pearl oysters Delne lOund along the whole extent
OF the Arabian coast, and IN ali the islands in the
gulf The entire monopoly is in the hands of
the Sheik of Bushire, who considers these
islands as his absolute property. The fishing
season is divided into two portions, one called
the short and cold, the other the long ana hot.
In the cooler weather of the month of June
diving is pursued along the coast ia shallow
water, but not until the hot months of July
and September are the Behrein banks much
resoltsd to. The water on these banks is about
seven iathoms deep. The divers are much
Inconvenience when the water is cold; indeed,
they can do little unless it is as warm as the
air; II becomes even more so in the hottest of
the summer months. The boats in the Behrein
fisheries are stated to be about fifteen hun.
dred, and the entire trade is in the hands of
merchants, many of whom are possessed of
After the discovery of America the pearl fshe.
ries on the coast of Columbia became of great
value. In 1854 upwards OF six hundred and
ninety-seyen pounds of pearls are said to have
been imported into Seville. Besides these, there
were three Golfers full of small pearls belorgn
to the king, all of which we're sold by the ounce
Those imported by Spanish and Portuguese
merchants exceeded thirteen hundred maces IN
mace is equal to about four and half ounces)
exclusive OF several bags full of pearls belonging
to passengers. Towards the end of the sixteenth
century, from mlsmanaPement under Spanish
rule, the trade in pearls became nearly extinct.
The Ceylon pearl fishing fleet may number
five hundred divers. The produce OF the fishing.
when brought ashore, is divided into four equal
parts, three of which belong to the Government
in repayment for the expense of fitting out the
fleet and Tor the liberty to fish. The remaining
fourth is divided into unequal portions among
the boatmen, the boat owner, the tindal, and
the divers-the divers receiving twice as much
as the b0atmen, and the owner rather more
than the divers. The oysters, when taken
ashore, are put up for sale by auction in lots of
a thousand. After the sale they are left under
quad for thirty days, in order that they may
become perfectly decomposed. In this state
they are well and carefully washed, the decayed
parts removed, and the pearls picked out. The
extremely hazardous nature OF these auctions
may be gathered from the fact, that, while in
some instances as many as hundred pearls of
various sizes and qualities may be found IN one
large oyster, hundred may be opened without
the purchaser finding Que. The most costly
pearls of the Ceylon fisheries are purchased by
Moorish and Hindoo traders, for sale in India,
where they find ready market, the least valu.
able being sent 10 Europe.
Although the eXertiOn must be very great
when at work, diving Tor pearls is not considered
very injurious to the constitution. The greater
danger arises from the number of sharks and
sword.fish continually upon the watch. For
security against these implacable foes, they
secure the services of shark charmers, and load
themselves with amulets, without which they
never dive. The time which diver can remain
under water varies from minute and half to
two minutes, but some are able to keep down
Tor four, and even five minutes; but such in
stances are rare, and to the diver very ex-
hausting.
The decline in the value of pearls in Europe.
which commenced in the seventeenth century
may be partly attributed to the more attractive
brilliancy OF the diamond, after the method of
cutting and polishing it was fully understood,
and partly to the successful imitation OF the
pearl itself; close as this resemblance may be,
a person accustomed to look at pearls will easily
discover the best limitations bv their CLASSY
vitreous look, so different from the orient of the
true pearl. Minerals have the advantage of
pearls in being indestructible and unadulterated
by time whereas, pearls, in process of time,
moulder into dust. In opening the tomb in
which the daughters of Stllicho had been
buried, with the whole of their ornaments for
] lis wears, 1T was found that all the riches con-
exception of the pearls, which were so
soft as to crumble between the finger and
thumb. Pearls kept in dry magnesia are
said never 10 lose their color or lustre, if ex-
cluded from air or moisture. The pearl was in
equal favor with the Romans, Egyptians, He
brews, and other Eastern nations. The story of
the large pearl worth &S0,729, dissolved, or
more likely pounded, and swallowed by Cleo
patr9 is too well kno Rn to need repetition; but
1t is, perhaps, not SO well known that pearls
were the principal ingredients in the love
pblters OF these days, and IL is more than
likely that this pearl was sacrificed to make a
charm OF great potency, in order to win back
the regards OF Antony. match to tins para
gon pearl, belonging also to Cleopatra after
wards fell into the hands of King Agrippa, the
tavorlte of Augustus, who carried it to Rome,
Which he presented to adorn the statue of
Venus, in the Pantheon, and which, for size and
beauty, were the admiration of all who beheld
them.
Tavernier, who travelled in India in the
seventeenth century, states, in his work on dia-
monds and pearls, that he purchased at Catita,
in Arabia, drOp-shaped pearl, measuring from
an inch and half to two inches in length, and
O'63 OF an inch in diameter at the broadest
part. He describes 1t as perfectly taultless and
OF great beauty, which 1t must have been, as he
gave the prodiglous sum of 9llO,OOO tor it. He
informs us that he afterwards sold 1t to the Shah
OF Persia. The palegrina, or the matchess,
v hich came, into the possession OF Philip II of
Spain, was found at the pearl fishery of Marge-
rita, on the coast of Spanish Colombia, in the
Bay OF Panama. 1t is about the size of
pigeons egg, but with more of a pear shape;
its weight is 250 carats, and its estimated value
Russian princess. The Medioi family, who tor
centuries were great patrons of art and arbi-
ters OF taste, were great admirers OF pearls; |
many royal and noble ladies of their connec-
lion possessed the finest collection to be met |
with IN Europe Those bequeathed by Catha- |
Iine de Medcis to Mary Queen of Scots were |
greatly admired for their size and beauty. In |
the French crown are several pearls OF great |
value. One weighing ~ 5-l6 Carats, is valued |
at $4,000. Two others, weighing together 81 |
England, on her marriage with the Prince of |
Prussia, wore pearl necklace worth f20, 600
Many different methods are adopted for pro- |
ducing an exact imitation of the pearl. The |
mode adopted in Paris, according to Ban bot, is |
TO ill hollow glass beads with the scales OF the
bleak fish, which have a pearly, sllvery lustre, |
known as the extract of orient; the same scales |
are likewise used to coat beads of gypsum, or |
Lemaire, OF France, manufactures beads OF beau |
tllul lustre, closely resembling the pearl. He !
ADDS TO 1000 ounces glass beads three ounces of |
the scales OF the bleak fish, half an ounce of fine