Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1872-11-28
THE PEARL-DIVER'S STORY.

was pearl-diver, and so was my
father before me. We lived in a small.
village of pcarl-divors on the Gulf of Cal
ifornia. not far from Cape San Lucas. In
front of the village WAS a point of rocks.
and many large rocks were in the sea in
front of this point that at low tide were
seen to be connected with others. forming
many small. deep basins. These basins
aboundei with the oysters in which we
find the pearls. Other parts Of the gulf
were poor in oysters compared with them.
but was death TO the divers to FISH amid
these rocks.
Some of the hravest would 90 there to
dive for pearls. and for months there
would be no accident. This would en-
courage others more timiL. until at length
nearly all the divers would be fishing in
the basins Of those rocks, bnt it was sure
TO end in the same way Suddenly some
friend or relative would 90 down in the
sea. and he would hc seen no more Nv
oldest brother went down one day, aud
never saw him again.
No one Of us ever saw shark among
the rocks. They used to trouble us in
other parts Of the gulf. sometimes taking
one of u.. but there, ncvcr-thcrc was a
devil amorc those rocks that even the
sharks feared.
We MI knew there was something ter
,iblc lurking amid those rocks, in some Of
the caves OF the s"a. Perhaps should
have said VIC all believed For until
saw my sister Isabella in its dcvili>h grasp.
not ono Of Us had ever seen ANYTHING there
tha. would account for the danger Of the
place.
Ny father said that (whcn he was a
boy) ono evening he was standing on the
point Of rocks facing the sea. in front 81
the village, he saw a large f,h rise to the
snrface near whcrc he stood, struggling MS
for life, with something that had srasred
It's body from the face Of the rock. He
only saw It for an instant. when it wa.
dragged down out Of sight, no,wi,lrstand-
inc its violent cxcrtiors TO escape IIe
said II was a sword-fsh. and appeared ia
be in the folds Of 4 large scrrcnt, but no;
large enough 10 overcome it in so short a
space of time But lie was frightened and
ran home. and when h. told his me;hcr
what he hai seen. his father, !ssuchsJ a
him. and said t>s2SSe@Stas Was no serpent tha
c%gI1:>froll a sworl-ti>h or pull one undo
the water. l. was the same thing as ia
back as my father could rccclect. Their
was some horrible thing in the sea at ,h
base Of these rocks. but what it was n,
one could tell Strangers would com
sometimes and laugh at our people fc
their fears. and would take their vessel
TO the dreaded place. aud load them will
pearl oysters aud depart without anythin:
hapr"uinG unusual. But none ever mad
more than three or four trips before tn
old horror was upon them; and some com
panion would sink smiling into the Sc;
never to be seen again.
Ii any of their bodies had ever bee,
seen again. i; would not have been s,
fearful. But no. they were gore, an,
none knew how or where. and that va
the horror. We knew there were no sharks
Then wGnt could it be? Alas. We wer,
soon to know. The seals used to coll,c
in the basins formed by these rocks il
large numbers. I, was q fayorite place o
rcsor. with them. but they would all leav
suddenly at times, for which We could uev
er account, although we had frcqucn,l,
Observed it. and wondered Why they LEI
So preciEisa;cly. We lived about twelv
miles from the cape. aud the gulf Is $
wide that We could see nothing bat waite
south cf us. Oar village was suall. an,
diving for pearls was the occupation Of al
: s'se- @sa -.ssss -iHhabi;ea IL The -Srca,c
part were born there. and knew bu, G,;l
Of the outside world. The rocks tha
formed the coast in front for abou, guar
ter of mile were perpendicular, full Q
assures, much wcathercd on the surface
and about forty or City feet high. A
their base. WIS level bench or terrace q
solid rock, tha. was sometimes covered b
the tide. On tie side next the cape va
a, beach Of fine white sand. aud also on th
left Of the rSlsgr. r -1 : ~7E =
The datached or outside rocks extende,
for more than mile our into the gull
and on the len huge circular ledge Q
4 II T. a-Et a ~. ~