Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1874-10-29
Haunting for Pearls.
DEPARTURE OF Az EPEDrTioS From NRw
LONDON IN SEARCH OF PEARLS NEAR THE
society," .NDs

DEPARTURE OF Az EPEDrTioS From NRw
LONDON IN SEARCH OF PEARLS NEAR THE
SOCIETY ISLANDS.
The New London Comm TsiegraBa Of Sat
urday contains the following: The schooner
Florence Bailey. Wesley Clark, Of Essex own
er and master, sailed from this port to-day for
the Society Islands. where she will engage in
the pearl fishery. Capt. Clark was the Iir.t
person who ever successfully prosecuted the
business Of pearl fishing by submarine diving
IN armor. lie made hi, first experiment about
twelve years since on the coast OF South Amer
lea, and. his venture proving successful ha,
followed the business ever since. either in
South American waters or in the Gulf OF Cali
fornla. When he first went out to South
America he found on the coast several submnr-
Inc armors which had been abandoned. the
parties owning them having come to the con-
cluslon that they could rot be employed to adj
vantage in the pearl fishery. lie estimates
III Al one submarine armor has a capacity equal
10 TWENTY-FIVE men, and he bases this estimate
upon his actual experience during the past
twelve years. He has heretofore found the
richest pearls on the coast of ECUADOR. Dur
ing one season, working four submarine ar
mors, he took out seven pound. Of pearl. in
four months. Many Of them We're very choice
and found "A ready market at large prices. ON
the coast Of California last year. Capt. CLARK,
In company with other parties, worked eleven
arInOrs and met with fair success. realiZin,
from the sale Of the shell, (which is extensively
Used IN the manufacture of knife-hanjles pa
per-cutters. &C.. and always finds a ready mar
ket) $4,000. and from the sale of pearls. s35-
90 The weight of the pearls taken out by
MIN last year was over seven pounds, but in
quallty they were not generally equal TO those
which he has found in South American waters.
The last seasons work pretty effectually ex-
hausted the supply of pearls oysters in the
Gun OF California, and he has therefore determ-
med upon striking out in an entirely new di-
rection, and undertaking something in the
pearl-nshing line that has never, TO his know
ledge, been attempted before. Knowing that
There are pearl oysters in the waters about the
society Islands, he feels very sure that he can
get his share Of them. He goes first TO Falk-
land Islands, thence through the Straits Of
Magellan, and then TO the Society Islands. cali
ing first at the part of Tahiti. He takes with
him provisions for twelve months His BROTH
er, who accompanies him. and the first mate
OF the Florence Bailey, Laban Clark, are both
expert submarine divers. Six men are reauir-
ed 70 operate each armor, and the whole num-
Der OF persons attached 10 the expedition il
eighteen. The coast Of fitting out the expedi,
uon, including the price paid for the schooner.
Will not fall much short of So 900. The fish.
cry Is carried on from small boats, which are
anchored in what is deemed to be a promsino
locality, and from which the divers descend.
lie takes with him basket which will hold
about three pecks Of oysters, and when This il
filled makes a signal on the lifeline, which Is
attached to his body. Upon this signal the
empty basket sent down. The diver ordinari-
ly remains under water from four to five hours.
but Capt. Clark informs us that in sboal water
he has worked ten hours per day for eight day,
10 succession. In shoal water, of course, the
pessure On the diver is comparatively small,
and he experiences little fatigue compared with
that which he feels when working at a great
depth. The small boat with which the life
line communicates shifts position as often as
may De necessary, upon a signal from the d.
yer. The pearl oysters are found at various
1epths, rom one to twenty fathoms, but Capt.
Clark's experience has been that thew are most
abundant 10 water from ten to twelve fathoms
deep. They are generally found on rocky boz.
tom, sometimes in sand, but never on muddy
bottom. The general impression that ths
pearls are attached to the shell of the oyster i
incorrect. They grow in the meat Of the oys.
ter; Sometimes they break through the skin
and attach themselves to the shell, but pearls
OF this description are always Of an inferior
quality and generally defective in formation.
In South American waters 1,5O0 oysters Are