The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1884-11-22
PEARLS.

~
Their origin and the Way I'm which
They are GRthered-An Important
Scotch Hndustry-valuable Finds
Artificial Production Possible.
The pearl is so associated with the
Orient that it sounds like a geographical
blunder to read that the lay pearl fish
cries have opened with usual prospects
of success. Yet the theme of SO many
pots and the object of so much extrava-
gance has, perhaps, been almost as long
n sought for in the Scottish rivers as in
\ the remoter seas of the East Great
/ Britain was at one time celebrated for
I its pearls, ana ne have the authority of
Suetonius for affirming that it was the
reputation of our islands for the pofses-
sion of these treasures that stimulated
Cesar to undertake the most famous in
vasion of which history has presses we'd
any record. We are told that after he
conquered England he presented rs a
thank-offer;ng to. Venus Genetrix a
buckler covered with pearls, which was
hung up in her temple. Whether these
were actually obtained from Britain
cannot now be decided; but there is no
doubt that, though Pliny refers in dis
paraging terms to the small size and
poor water of the Northern .'Margarite,
the patrician ladies Of Rome were glad
to barter the spoils of many plundered
kingdom for the ornaments which in
more modern times have fallen into
such disrepute. At no time, however,
during at least eighteen hundred years
have British pearls altogether ceased to
be among the commodities of COM.
merce. Specimens are said to exist
among the Scottish crown jewels, and
one from the Conway, presented by
Sir Richard Wynn to the Queen of
Charles IL, ranks rs an ornament of tie
British crown In our day large num-
bers have been purchased by the Queen
and Empress of the French, and the
weather. of the Scottish ladies have al
ways set the fashion of encouraging the
trade by wearing bracelets, necklaces
and rings set with native pearls, and
since the Lead hills and the Strath of
Kildonan still yield tho precious metal
set in gold which has never crossed
the sea.
The pearl of the fresh-water mnssel
is found in almost every river where the
mollusk iu question can prosper, though
naturally sullen streams, with many
undisturhed pools and muddy bottoms,
are most favorable to their growth.
Hence we have pearls from Norway and
Sweden, from the rivers of Tyrone and
Donegal, and from many of the streams
of the Northwest of England and Wales.
Very fine specimens also come Moldau
aud Wottawa, in Bohemia, and for ages
fresh-water pearl fishery has existed
in the Iltz, in Bavaria, from which at
times valuable specimens reach the con-
tinental jewellers.
It is, however, manly in Scotland
that the business is followed with any
thing like system. For ages the Tay,
Doom, Don, Teith, Forth, Ythan, Spey,
Ugie and Earn have proved more or less
fruitful, the dull season being compen-
stated for by those in which gem of
more than ordinary value has been fished
up. In all these rivers and in some of
smaller importance, a few people-gen-
orally old men. women, and children
are engaged during the summer months
in searching for the mussels, buoyed up
by hope of finding in one out of fifty or
sixty the object they are eager to OBJ
tain. Indeed, ever since Mr.. Ungcr inn
parted stimulus to the business. some
of the smaller streams been so
overfshed as 10 rendsaB cog9dabor of
searching the mud scr jawfemunera-
~ =. s...,Ia tic River Fer tributary to
years ber3he iiheal dess T ay itself,
though very e5fsa cont sever; still
thirty-thrce years after erlng being
vembcr IS, 1866. Bu6fay 2 trade
more prominent in En9ou.
America. he man
Sometimes large metastned, SO
the atmosphere with suck4d the sun
explode with loud noifiyer lovely
several pieces. which fiNge Of mid
separate tracks. A Nd arEhsh-
this kind was seen by AHk much OF
this State at nine o'clocE pendant on
OF December p, 1876. Nst without
ties are analysed and ext imminent
microscope, they are found to be q,
posed largely of iron, mixed with OF
substances. all of which are known
exist on the earth, but in different :
portions of combinations. So tina
meteorite, as mass, is different fir
any other body VIC know of, althor
OF the same materials differently put
gether. Besides the group of nlete
yoids which the earth passes. OF pc
trates, near the middle of NoyemI
each year, there is another which
pass about the 10th of August, when
may expect that shooting stars will
more numerous than they are in or
nary clear nights.
FAseryations for q number of We,
AaSllst neteoFs genera