The Bossier banner., 1881-06-09
The Pearl Fisheries of Lower California.


ssxgion. Five merchants and thousand
daring divers are wearing out theil
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
deepwaters off La Plaza. The latitude
is little south Of Key West, in Florida
and not tar north of Havana. Since
the recent Mexican fever began, an in.
creasing 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 be-
long to Mexico, they WILL of course,
rank among the other natural riches OF
that country. Chief Engineer Magee,
lately returned from the Gulf of Cal
ifornia, 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 to dispose of his
annual harvest of precious stones.
1hls merchant, while hoping to see his
country developed and American cap
ltal, industry, and machinery encour-
aged for this purpose, did not think
80 that the present condition of the pearl
"a fisheries of the Gulf of California would
warrant the Investment of more capi-
- tabor labor
"a =, The following facts were given dur
ing the Interview: Pearl oysters are
ss sfnund from one to six miles from shore
-. IN from eight to twenty-one fathoms
OF water. The 1000 divers who are
- engaged in searching for them are
8 generally employed under the contract
system, as they make greater efforts to
IS discover the pearls than they do when
hired by the day. Boats, diving appa-
ratus and money for provisions and
on condition that all the pearls discov-
cred shall be sold to him at such prices
as may be agreed upon-in other words,
That he may have the refusal of all the
pearls found. lSail-boats of five ton
burden and containing six men each
are htted up with sleeping and cooking
Accommodations, and six months are de-
lVoted to pearl diving up and down the
!. coast from May until October and
~ November. 3 The total product of a
years work is estimated at about
ss5e9,oe0 that is, valuing the pearls at
the first cost price. The United States
is very poor place to sell pearls of
any kind, and black pearls, which are
most valuable are bought exclusively
by wealthy and titled people in Europe.
st. petersburg ranks next to Paris as
good market for them,s while in the
Unlted States there is a great demand
toI@diamonds of extraordinary value.
The entire yield of Mexican pearls
per cent. are white, forty per cent.
zFeayad n ffony,
#biue stones are of little value. The
3Oyster 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 eolors9 of the rainbow.
ne shells, which are known as mother
of-peafi, are carried once a wear in
slsps Oh, 600 tons. around Cape Horn
g toAtArnburg where they are sold to Ger
man merchants and manufacturers for
saving into buttons, knife handles |
.,.paper-cutters and thousand other
s,esofnaments for boudoir and studio.
Americans are beginning to use
this material and it is THOUGHT |
that there viii be large demand for
! : pearl shells in few years. They are |
worth from $40O to $500 per ton. Bos-
aton buys more of them than any other |
,1eity in the United States
The value of pearls depends entirely
upon their size. shape and color, and |
ssperfect condition. There can never be
'@an arbitrary schedule of prices agreed
upon, for what one man NAV be WILLING
to pay ST., 200 another man would not
be willing to pay tenth part of that
-aasums The Russian mobiles are espe-
elaliy fond OF rich black pearls, which
, scarcely find sale in the United States.
except as matter of speculation to
SEND abroad Sometimes it is weeks
ana even months before hundred
!, dollars worth of stones are discovered
Inc echoicest pearls that are found during
season are worth from 81 900 to S5. 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 ana improbable, season an expe-
vr'enced diver may find few pearls worth
aioTtune. Strange things happen down
In the wild solitudes of those distant
hsheries. Poor men sometimes find ,
pearls that king might envy, and if
the divers were frugal thev could often +.
rise above the obscurity of poor pearl !
fishermen; but such successes are pen-
orally followed by dissipation, which ,
soon leaves the man as penniless as he !
was before. 81 .a,nsl !
The Mexican divers of the Gulf of I
California are said to be the most expert j
ln the world. They go down into deep i
Nater and remain for long time. In G
FORMER times many men were lost in /
tns perilous pursuit after submarine G
treasures English diving suits are h
said to be the safest and most satisfac- '
tory and superior to the celebrated i
French armor, but American hose-pipes b
are unsurpassed. Several years ago | n
large number of divers lost their lives o
IN one season because of the defective il
sEnghsh hose tubing. Since then there a
ma nave not been many serious accidents. E
Inc loss of lie caused by the exposure F