Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-03-11
The Pearl Oyster.

Pearl oysters ara founi in various
parts of India and the Pacific ocean
as depth of about twelve fathoms of
water. They are distinguished by their
triangular form, having unequal valves
and laugs without teeth. Most of these
shells have pearly interior, but true
pearls are merely morbid growths.
Their formation is caused by the intro
duction of some irritating substance
between the mouth and the shell. The
irritation csnses the animal to cover the
intruding object with layers of pearl,
aud thus this valuable ornament ia
formed.
The Chinese produce pearls artif-
cially by inserting grains OF sand III the
position described.
As I have shown, the pearl is con.
erection mainly of carbonate Of lime. II
is usually Of a yellowish or blush white.
In Europe aud America the purest white
pearl is the most valuable, but the
Hindoos and Arabs prefer yellowish
hue
From very early period pearls have
ranked among gems, and have been
highly esteemed as ornaments. The
Old Testament Scriptures frequently
allude to them. The Greeks and Remains
used them in profusion, even to deco-
rate their feet. Pliny alIudes to breast
plate which Caesar brought home from
his British expedition, formed OF Brit
ish pearls. Another ancient writer
declares that to procure pearls was the
conqueror's chief inducement to under
take this expedition.
The pearl fisheries have constituted
a special business from antiquity in the
Persian Gulf, and at present are prose-
cuted extensively near Arippo, on the
western coast of Ceylon.
The pearl oysters lie in banks some
fifteen miles from the shore. The fish
ing begins in April, when the sea is in
the end of May.
The work is managed as follows: A
feet of boats manned for the purpose
leave the shore at midnight so as to
reach the banks at dawn. Government
vessels are on the spot to arrange and
control the operations. At daybreak
cannon is fred as signal to begin.
The fishing boats usually carry Gap
tain, pilot and about twenty men. One
half of these are professional divers.
They are divided into two companies OF
five men each who relieve each other
by turns. They are provided with ropes
which are held by men in the boat, the
lower ends of which are fastened to
baskets in which the divers gather the
pearl oysters. Each is armed with
knife which he uses to detaoh the
oysters, anu also fight the sharks, if
they chance to come too near. They
work very rapidly, and remain under
water, at any one time, only minute
or two. They continue the work until
about 10 o'clock A. NJ, when another
signal gun warns them to return to the
shore.
| As soon as the boats reach the beach
laborers employed for the purpose carry
off the produce Of each days fishing.
These oysters are spread out upon the
shore to purify under the burning sun.
After this the oysters are taken out and
placed ia troughs, when they are washed
and the pearls are separated from their
surroundings. The pearls thus pro-
cured are bought and sold on the spot,
the spectators usually making the most
of the profits.
Pearls vary much in size. Those
that arc unnsually large arc valuable
because they are rare. Except these,
those which are about the size of pea
and of good color and form, are the
most valuable.
The Romans were accustomed to pay
enormous prices for choice pearls.
Strings of pearls were valued by them
as high as forty thousand dollars. His
tory informs US that Cleopatra's pearls
in her esr-drops, which she proposed to
dissolve in vinegar, at q costly report,
have been valued at four hundred
Thousand dollars.
The Spaniards who first visited the
American continent found the natives
decked with necklaces aud blacelets of
pearls, and Montezuma, when first he
net Cortes, wore garments adorned
with precious pearls.
Pearls of large size were found in the
streams near Salem, in New Jersey, one
of which was sold in Paris, 1858, for
more than two thousand dollars.
The pearl fisheries of the Boheim
island in the Persian gull yield an
nually from one million dollars to one
million five hundred thousand dollars.
III Naturalist, in the Green Mountain
freeman.