The weekly Butte record., 1867-09-21
The Pearl Fisheries.


ing up and down one of the little streams which
cut its coast discovered clam from whose unwil-
ling mouth be forced a pearl-a clear pure pearl.
for which Tiffany eagerly offered three hundred
dollars. And forthwith a fever followed-to TO alay
which, old and young, male AMI female. took to
walking. in bare feet, up and down the muddy beds
of the water courses each seeking for the = Pearl
Of great price,r Hundreds of such were found,
VARYING in value from few shiilings to seven hun
dred dollarss-the highest price paid. think. for
sny single Jersey jewell" The search so
rMy readers need not express surprise at this
price. II is bat mere psttance compared with
the value of pearls found in the east. II may he
mentioned that Juus Caeser presented Serviliia.
the mother of Marcns Brutus, with pearl worth
Az los; and Cleopatra. at feast with Anto.
nv drank one dissolved in vinegar of the value OF
ESQ 20 3s4d ts400 000). They were them IN great
profusoh not only in the ears and on the fingers,
head and neck but strung over the whole body;
and the men as we'll the ladies were thus adorn-
ed The principal fisheries of the Romans were IN
the Red Sea the Gulf of Persia. and the Indian
Ocean the pearls from the former places being the
most highly valued superior IN SIZE ana insier.
thorough that few months served to exhaust the
supply. and no one now thinks of exposing their
persons and their health in the vain pursuit OF The
bjyalye whose carbonate of lime secretion was so
priced by the weaker SEX In this respect the
Jersey Fishery" was like most other pearl oeos
giving out when promising most. Ceylon alone
and its preservation for four years growth. dong
much towards preserving perpetnity OF the crop
The ancient fisheries in the Red Sea are now eth
er exhausted or neglected. and cities OF the great
est celebrity have in consequence sunk INTO insig-
nificance or total ruin. Dahaac was the chief port
the pearl trade the southern part OF the Read
Sea- and Sunkem on the north: and under Ptolom-
les even long after, IN the time OF the oaiiphs,
these were Islands whose merchants were princes;
but their aftuence and glory have long since depar
7 Tod tj,.va q
miserable fishermen. The discoveries OF the Wes-
tern world did much tow ards breaking up the pearl
fisheries of the East. The Spanlards on landng al
once were amazed to ud the savaCes OF the Islands
decked with pearl necklaces and bracelets; and
among the civilized people OF Mexico and Peru
they saw pearls OF beautiful form as eagerly sought
after as in Europe The hint was taken; the sta
tons of the oysters sought out and cities rose
into splendor and afluence in their vlcinlty-ali
summarized by the profits of these sea-bnrn gems.
The first CITY which owed its rise to this
New Cadiz in the little island OF Cabagna: and the
writers of that period discourse eloquentiy o the
riches of the first planters. and the luxury they DIS
plaved; but now not vestige of the city remains,
and downs of shifting sand cover the desoiate is
land The same fate overlook the other cities;
for from various causes, and particularly from the
never-ceasing destruction OF the Heieds'1nae the
banks became exhausted, and toward the end OF the
sixteenth century. the traffic In pearls dwind!ed
into nsignlfcance.
At present Spanish America furnishes no other
pearls for trade than those from the Gulf Of Pana
ma and the mouth of the Rio de Ia Hacha. The
bulk of them. formerly mentioned, are procured
from the Indian Ocean. particularly from the Bay
of Candatchy. in Ceylon. the taprobane II the 10
mans.
Ii is To the Candatchy coast propose to take my
reader and to give him or her the whole story OF
the gathering Of the precious stone % which now
forms Que of the most valued portions OF every
well chosen or trousseau
in, fha
myself in the streets of Colombo, in the island Of
Ceylon How | came there need not concern The
reader at present, though may say that ili'uSase
drove me to leave my ship. without receiving the
money due tn me for wages
The fear of being again put under command Of
those disliked, prevented me from visiting that
part of the town where the principal European res
dents of the place were dwelling. and was con-
peed 10 acquire some knowledge o, ti'e lhnaoiah,s
OF that part of the city occupied by the descend
ants of the Dutch and Portugese and OF the Pettah
or native quarter OF Colombo.
The Pettah presented fine school for acquiring
some Knowledge of the different races found in the
East: for it then contained population of about
thir;yive thousand souls including Malays, Moors.
i.entoos Parsees, and native Cingalese
Among these people, all very busy in accom-
pishine bat little. was trying to 1--we on nothing
per deirl. During the day, world wander abo'.t
the city. and occasionally give II, inhahitants
lesson in economy. by consuming pineapple.
slaiaoch, or mango, that had been rejected by
others.
In the evening. I would walk out of town, where
nndisturhed by its inhabitants. could find nights
lodging in some cinnamon garden, or grove OF cash
ew. nut tees 4 man who lives in Ceylon must be
Industrious and recommend the place as a resi-
dence for auy one who is eonsttusionally ndolent.
and wishes relief from the intirmity. Day and
night. existence demands constant warfare
AGAINST mvriadS of sand flies. and other annoy
anceS small in form, but great in the eject OF dis
turbiny repose.
Nv occupation O: the cinnamon gardens for
lodging was opposed by huge beetles that often
seemed irving to break their own heads. or mine,
bv daShing themselves against me-. l-afge spiders
seemed irving to catch. or rather bind me IN their
webs which nv exertions IN lghilng them and
other foes. constantly breaking Although
these and many other things. were apparently DIS
pleased with my presence in place that should De
exclusively their own insects of smaller size had
high appreciation OF the favor of my visit Myri'
ads OF musketoes. thrstng for blood were hum
ming around me. ticks dropped or crawieo from
trees and buried their heads in my flesh. and land
leeches tried to drain the last drop OF blood from
my BODY
Other things gathered near me apparently to
CRAFTY feeling of curiosity. Bats and moths flew
about nv ears. and great toads came crawling
around me: while was conscious that the ground
upon which was lying was awe Win ants anu q
thousand other insects.
A sof, bed of snow and blanket of ice, were all
I then desired for perfect happiness but such lux
rieS are not to he had IN Ceylon. III did wrong IN
leaving my ship, was amply punished for H. In
the frenzy of struggling to maintain an existence
against the myriads of tormentorS. all anxious to
impress upon me some record of their love and ha
tired arranged my frantic powers of thought into
n resolution to take the first oIportunit! OF getting
once more upon the water. small brig wts
about to sail for the Bay of Condatchy. and join
ed il as one Of the crew. with the promise that
should he employed in the pearl fishery. when the
vessel reached its destination. 1t was the hrst
chance had of leaving Colombo better might
have been found the same, hut had acquired all
the exrerience of a vsgabond life in that city that
deemed necessary for future use, and would run
no risk in enlsrging 1t.
The brig belonged 10 a Colombo merchant, who
had purchased at auction the right OF fishing on An
oyster he'd that had lately been surveyed and sold
by the government. The vessel was freichted with
stores for the use of those who had been engaged
tor the fishery and was commanded by q native Of
Colombo Of Portuguese descent named Manos
Aboard the brig were several men who had been
engaged as divers. They were called Marawas. and
were most of them natives of Tuticorum. They
had no duty 10 perform the vessel, and seldom
spoke hut 10 each other, high opinion OF their
profession or business. evidently made them above
associating too freely with those who have never
tried to make themselves smphbious: but why they
had conceived this exalted opinion OF themselves,
was unable 10 learn.
/ -Four dsv. after leaving Colombo, we anchored in
the Bsv Of Conds,chv. and again found myself on
the animated soil OF Cevcn where the insects were
ouite as Numerous. inQH>itive, impertinsnt. and
bieodthi-s;v those Of the place we had left.
We landed near a village containing about twelve
hundred inhabitants-mo>t of them mi>ersbc-iook
ing wretches nnd many Of them suffering evils