Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1885-04-02

Fishing aor PearIsan trne ssule u can.
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Fanny B. Ward describes in a letter
TO the New York Sun how pearls are
sought by divers in the Gulf of Califor-
MA: The profit Of the fisheries, she SAYS,
y BY no means limited TO the pearl fish
cries. The shells are also coveted. the
poorest selling upon the spot for from
eight to twelve cents per pound, while
IN Europe, where the lining Of the shells
IS worked into buttons and knife ham
dies, they bring from twenty 70 thirty
cents per pound. Many of the larger
shells are shipped to San Francisco,
where, as nlother-of pearl, they find
ready sale at from 81. 80 to So per pound
For centuries the gulf coast has been
noted for its genealogical beauties, but
the shells OF the pearl fisheries are most
highly priced, some of them being fully
fifteen inches wide. and marvelouslv
beautiful when polished. One may find
them for sale in the San Francisco shops
for fabulous prices, with birds, flowers,
or landscapes deliberately carved upon
them.
The meat of the pearl oysters, though
unstable in the American market, is also
made source of profit, being readily
bought by Cinnamon, who dry the leath-
cry little bivalves, or seal them up in
cans and ship them to their brethren in
CHINA or San Francisco. Those scions
Of the iowery kingdom, who reside in
great numbers around the gulf, are never
employed as divers, but are engaged in
the unsavory occupation Of digging and
shipping guanO from wave washed caves
and rock bound coasts, where sea birds
have been depositing it for centuries.
1t is a well-known fact that pearls are
sometimes produced by means that are
partially artificial. especially in the Java
nese fisheries. That gem of purest ray
serene. so priced by admirers of precious
stones in all ages Of the world, is but the re-
suit of some lesion suffered by the oyster,
its solidifed tear of suffering. Hence an
injury is often purposely inflicted by in
Producing between the shells small
stone or shot, or bit of gravel, and then
the oysters are again put to bed. This
process is said to be successful in produc-
ing great quantities of pearls, but those
thus formed are inferior In lustre and less
desirable for marketable purposes No
such attempts have been made in the
Mexican fisheries, for those supplied by
nature ore sufficiently numerous.
The pearl oysters prefer well-sheltered
BAYS or harbors where fresh water emp
ties, and in such localities north of Cape
San Lucas the brightest gems have been
found. For more than 800 years these
fisheries have been in the possession of
private families by grants dating back to
The days or the conquest. like that of
the Navarro family. And thus it hap
pened that the pride of the Spanish re-
gala is an enormous Mexican pearl which
is brilliant yet, though stolen from the
seas before the Nepoleonic invasion.
IE many places along the gulf quanti-
ties of pearl smells have been washed
ashore by hurricanes; strange TO say,
however, no oyster bearing the fruit so
eagerly sought has ever suffered itself to
be stranded, but all cling tenaciousiy to
rocks and corals at the bottom Of the
sea- till torn off by the divers. The best
fishing season is from May to November.
during the annual time of rains. It Is
estimated that at least one-Q quarter of the
entire population OF Lower California are
interested in Eearl fishing. The beds lie
at n dupth Of from ten to forty feet, the
probable average being about twenty
feet. The native divers, who brave all
manner Of sea monsters for a few
cents per diem, show wonderful skill
and aptness in their work. Generally
with no other apparatus than heavy
stone attached to the waist, they plunge,
naked. 10 the bottom. select bivalves,
and gather them into bag, often re-
manning under water as long as 40 sec
onds The divers are, of course, en-
Moved with view to their ability and
experience, and must exercise considera-
BILE Judgment in selecting the oysters;
vet, despite all pretensions to the CON
trslrv. no human being can tell whether
q she'll contains pearls or not till it has
been brought mp and examined. It is
only known that the younger growth
must be left undisturbed, and that the
largest and oldest oysters seldom contain
pearls. though they are frequently brought
up for the value Of the shells. The ma
tive divers depend largely upon certain
charms. signs and nominations. On ris-
inc to the surface the fisher empties his
bac into one OF the waiting surf boats,
which craft, under careful guard. deliv-
or their loads to the well-armed schooner,
the latter vessel running into shore at
evening to discharge the accumulated
cargo. A very strict police system is
necessary to prevent serious thefts, yet,
despite the utmost vigilance, they are of
daily occurrence.
The fishing is continued for about six
hours per diem. On land the CARGO is
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