The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-08-30
YOUNG FOLKS COLUMN,
Abdul, the Pearl Diver, and How He Found
Treasure.

big pearl was said to have been found some one
hundred years ago.
The way the divers find the pearls is to plunge
into the sea, and when they are at certain
depth, where the shells grow. they sever them
from the rocks, and, putting them into bag,
they rise to the surface. When the oysters con-
tanning the pearls are brought to the land they
are put in heaps and allowed to rot In this
way the discovery of the pearls is easy, as the
flesh Of the oysters becomes soft through decom-
position 1t is then kind of lottery. Small
pearls are frequent and not very valuable, but
large ones are worth great deal of money, and
there are some pearls which fetch, even in the
East. $4,000
There was once diver who, for many years.
was celebrated for his experiences, but more
than that for his great luck. The Arabs who
carry on the business supply the vessels, and
hire the divers, very superstitious, and be-
lieve in good and bad luck. Abdul, the diver
was always in great demand, and was certain to
be among the first engaged. The way the divers
paid is to give them some very small amount
of wages, and percentage on the value Of the
pearls 1t is very fatiguing work, and decidedly
unhealthy, for, as the divers stay under the
water long time, they suffer from pulmonary
or chest complaints. For many years. whether
because Abdul was more expert than the 9TH
ers, or because fortune favored him, he earned a
fair living. When the pile of shells he had
brought up from the bottom of the sea came to
be examined. there were always, besides the
usual small pearls, three or four big ones and of
to size, the form and shade of the pearl make up
its value.
All of sudden, however, Ab-dull's luck seemed
to depart Maybe as he was growing older he
could not dive as deep and was not as quick as
in his younger days. Even though he did secure
as many oysters as Others when his pile was ex-
amlned there were never any good pearls to be
found. Just as everybody in other times wanted
Abdul to work for him, now none of the Arabs
would give him place in their boats
''Yoyr luckV time hiss DaSSed y one Arab mas
ter after another would say, land you would
bring US misfortune"
Poor Abdul came very near starving. In
deed bad luck seemed to follow him. Whenever
tune seemed to follow. Either storm came up
and no fishing was possible, or the sail was
blown away from the mast, or the boat was
damaged.
One day Abdul was seated on the the beach
looking at the boats putting off to the shoal
where the pearl oysters grew, couple of miles
from the land
Passing along the shore, there came young
man who was new in the business and this was
his very first venture. AS all trades have to be
learned, this man had made up his mind to begin
his venture in very small way. He had bought
very poor old boat and had only money enough
to pay for one diver, the master and another
man sailing the boat.
Meschid-that was this mans name-had
heard of Abdul and the stories about him, and
how he brought bad luck to his employers.
Meschid was perhaps as superstitious as the rest
of the masters. and had there been any other
diver the shore, would never had hired
Abdul 1t was, however, at the height of the
season, and all the other divers had gone out in
the boats. Meschids own luck had been very
poor so far. He had only collected some
hundred and odd oysters, and they had yielded
not enough pearls to pay his expenses.
Hire me, master" said Abdul, 81 will work
we'll and faithfully"
But you have aE.bad name, Abdul" said
II know l have been unlucky but bad luck
cannot always hold. Hire me to-day. lam poor
and hungry. Give me a mess of rice only for
to-day, and no money and if 1 find you good
pearl then you may pay me something"
and calling on his other man, cut they went to
sea.
The other boats which had had the first start,
had taken all the best places Alb dull had to
work in very deep water, where pearl oysters
were not only scarce, but difficult to obtain. He
toied without cessation all day, and got only a
few oysters, much to Meschids disappointment.
Next day Abdul went out again III Meschids
boat, and though the start was an early one,
he secured were few. In fact, Meschid's pile
was small that with Abdul all the oysters
were opened and examined, but only few poor
pearls were found
''Try me but once more" said Abdul land
this time do not ask even for rice"
Meschid, who was fair man, felt sorry for
Abdul, and said:
mo; you shall eat your fill Now. will try
you again, but it will be for the last time for If
you do not succeed shall be ruined
On the third morning Meschd and Abdul
started out They had bad luck at the very start,
for the boat struck rock, and commenced
leaking SO badly that it was all they could do to
prevent her from sinking. Managing to stuff IN
the hole, they started out afresh, and then it
began to blow Now, it is necessary that the
boats should be anchored because when the
divers come up they are pretty we'll exhausted,
aud the boat must be near so that they can get
on board, especially if they have any pearl
oysters
No sooner had Abdul dived down than the
boat commenced to drag the heavy stone used
for an anchor. All the other boats, Meschid saw,
were coming to the shore, as they dreaded the
storm.
Meschid was uneasy because Abdul had been
down so long, and was anxious because the boat
was drifting Presently lie saw the divers head
in the water long way oft. He put the boat
about and picked up Abdul who, as he climbed
up the boats side quite exhausted, threw into
the boat single pearl oyster, and that one of no
great size
1T is the only one could find, o, my master,
and thought should have been drowned GET
ting it. 1T chung so hard to the bottom that I
broke my knife getting it off, and had to use
my fingers See how have cut them. Indeed,
bad luck is mine, and am so sorry"
Meschid said not n word, for the storm was
now rising, ana III was With the greatest difficulty
that they reached the shore. In fact, the rest
of the boats had given Meschid and Abdul up
for lost, believing that in such and old boat they
could never survive the force of the waves
Glad enough then was Meschid when he put his
foot on the shore and thinking no more of Alb
dull he left him on the sandy beach.
Abdul was hungry, for as yet he had had
nothing to eat. Now the storm came up. and
Abdul sought protection in the boat, which,
with the retreating tide, high up on the
sand The single pear! oyster was there. in the
bottom of the boat "Ah,' he said to himself
many and many is the time when in day /
brought UP hundreds of you" Then he
oyster. Just chen there came 'G such "a a
violent gust of wind that the sand
was blown in a shower into the boat and the
blast came So strong that Abdul was afraid the
old craft would be thrown over on her side and
he made unservceable. So he jumped out, and
getting some stones, wedged in the boat so as to
prevent her turning over Then. exhausted