The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1881-05-04

The Pearl Fisheries of Lower California
How the Capita's OF Europe Are Sap
Piled.


ing out their lives in supplying the markets
of Paris, London and New York with the
rare and costly black pearl, which is found
in state of great perfection in the deep
waters off La Paz. The latitude is a little
south of Key West, in Florida. and not far
north of Havana Since the recent Mexican
fever began an increasing public interest
has been taken in the resources of the
ancient empire of the Montezumas, and
the gold and silver and other
precious products of that land are
exciting much curiosity among American
capitalists. As the pearl fisheries of Lower
! California belong TO Mexico, they will of
course rank among the other natural riches
of that country. Chief Engineer Magee,
of the United States Navy, who has lately
| returned from the Gulf of California was
found at the Fifth Avenue Hotel recently,
in company with one of the principal pearl
merchants of Mexico, who had Just arrived
from Paris, whittier he had been on a mis-
sion to dispose OF his annual harvest OF
precious stones. This merchant while
hoping to see his country developed and
American capital. industry and machinery
encouraged for this purpose, did not think
that the present condition of the pearl fish
eneS of the Gulf OF California would war
rant the investment of more capital or Ia
Dor.
The following facts were given during the
interview: Pearl oysters are found from one
to six miles from shore in from eight to
twenty-one fathoms of water. The one thou
sand divers who are engaged in searching
for them are generally employed under the
contract system, as they make greater efforts
to discover the pearls than they do when
hired by the day. Boats, diving apparatus
and money for provisions and outfits are
supplied by the merchant on condition that
all the pearls discovered shall be sold to him
at such prices as may De agreed upon-in
other words, that he may have the refusal of
all the pearls found. Sail boats of five tons
burden and containing six men each are
fitted up with sleeping and cooking accomo-
dations, and six menths are devoted to pearl
diving up and down the coast. from Nav UNI
til October and November. The total prod
uct of a years work is estimated at
about $500, OOO-that is, valuing the pearls at
the first cost price. The United States is
very poor place to sell pearls
most valuable are bought exclusively by
wealthy and titled people in Europe. st.
Petersburg ranks next to Paris as a good
market for them, while in the United States
there is a great demand for diamonds of ex-
traordinary value. OF the entire yield of
Mexican pearls 10 per cent. are white, 40 per
cent. blue and 10 per cent. black. The blue
stones are of little value. The oyster in
which the pearl is found has the shape of
large clam or saddle-rock oyster, but it is
smooth and brilliant, with all the colors of
I the rainbow. The shells, which are known
| as the mother-of-pearl, are carried once a
year in ships of 1000 tons, around Cape
Horn TO Hamburg, where they are sold to
German merchants and manufacturers for
saving into buttons, knife handles, paper
cutters and thousand other ornaments for
boudOir and studio. Americans are begin
ming to use this material and il is thought
| that there will be large demand for pearl
shells in few years. They are worth from
800 to $500 per ton. Boston buys more of
them than any other city in the United
States
The value Of pearls depends entirely upon
their size, shape and color, and perfect con-
| dition. There can never be an arbitrary
| schedule of prices agreed upon, for what
one man may be willing to pay 81, 600
another man would not give tenth part of
| that sum. The Russian mobiles are especially
fond of rich black pearls, which would
scarcely find sale in the United States, ex-
cept as matter of speculation to send
abroad. The uncertainties of the fisheries
are great. Sometimes it is weeks and even
months before 500 worth of stones are dis
covered. The choicest pearls found during
n season are worth from 1000 to SIS, 600
apiece. The cheapest pearls are sold by
weight Generally pearls are about the size
OF bullets and found in the soft oyster near
the place where it joins the shell. Then
again, just at the close of long and I'M
profitable season, an experienced diver may
find q few pearls worth fortune Strange
things happen down in the wild solitudes of
those distant fisheries. Poor men sometimes
find pearls that a king might envy, and if
the divers were frugal they could often rise
above the obscurity of poor pearl fishermen (;
but such successes are generally followed by
dissipation, which soon leaves the man as
penniless as he was before.
Il The Mexican divers of the Gulf of Cali
} fornia are said to be the most expert in the
} world They go down into deep water and
remain below for a long time. In former
, times many men were lost in this perilous
pursuit after submarine treasures. English
diving suits are said TO be the safest and
most satisfactory, and superior to the cele-
brated French armor, but American hose
! pipes are unsurpassed. Several years ago a
} large number of divers lost their lives IN
one season because of the defective English
, hose tubing. Since then there have not
been many serious accidents. The loss of
life caused by the exposure and hardships of
pearl fishing is considerable and the men
! generally retire after few years of active
service to spend the rest Of their wretched
J days in trying to find relief for a rheumatic
paralysis which generally closes a pearl
fishers life. The lower currents of the sea,
at depth of eighteen or twenty faihoms,
. eiS 'NAy WIZ NfCh AZ bAOliCc, MllliC Tic
pressure is oppressive. The blood grows
; cold and thick, so that the joints stiffen, the
muscles contract, and only the strongest
constitutions can long survive the hardships
of the pearl fishing.
The divers see great many sharks, but,
as rule, they do not fear them. although
they sometimes cut or break the pipes which
supply the men with air from the atmos-
phere above. The danger NEST dreaded by
the brave fishermen is the celebrated devil
fish. They are all we fear" said the mer-
chant They lie near the bottom of the
sea. At first sight they seem insignificant
and harmless, butif diver or the air-pipes
come within their reach, their long, shad-
owy tentacles or fingers suddenly clutch
, the object with apowerful, tighteninggrasp,
until the man is crushed to death or the
hose-pipes cut in twain. Many a man has
lost his life through the wickedness of these
devil fish,
Il Human Nature In the Country store.
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