The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1886-10-23

mostly found. The strait in which the
bed OF oysters is situated Is very dam
gerous from rocks and whirlpools. The
men who learn this business begin In
early youth, for IL requires great prac-
tice and much courage. They have to
exercise great deal In diving, and see
how long they can remain under
water. The season commences In
April, and weeks before, the di-
vers begin to diet and rub them
selves with oil. At sunrise they
go IN boats to the bank of pearl oys-
ters. about five leagues from the CONT
nent Then the diver takes off his
clothing, and under one arm fastens o
sponge which he uses for breathing,
and ties n plant before his mouth,
which will not absorb the water He
puts cord around his waist. the end
of which is fastened to the boat, and
puts thirty-pound weight to his feet,
in order to sink the faster. He takes
d knife and a net, and plunges into the
sea. He picks up the oysters as fast
as possible. II he wants breath. he
pulls the cord, and his companions
draw him up. The oysters are laid
upon the sand, exposed to sun and air.
until the shells open. There are gen.
orally found in them dozen pearls.
which are cleaned and prepared for
sale. They brings large sum, and
the oyster shells are sold for mother
of-pearl. Before the divers 60 into the
water they take oil into their mouths,
which they discharge on reaching the
bottom, and 1t makes the water clear
er. Many accidents occur to these poor
men. Some are seized by the inhabit-
ants of the deep, and. sometimes re-
naming too long in the water, they are
strangled. Some divers have killed 9TH
ers at the bottom of the sea, because
one would pick up the oyster which the
other wanted. The best diver can re-
main under the water only about eight
minutes generally, but some Indians
have remained fifteen minutes. This
employment is SO hard that divers usu-
ally die young. They seldom can fol-
low it more than ten years, and some
much less time.
During the last century, an invention
was made for the help of divers; for the
pearl fisheries. 1t resembled bell.
and the diver places himself in it. This
bell is filled with air, and therefore
prevents water from filling the inside
of the machine as it falls into the sea.
You will understand this if you will
plunge the mouth of little glass into
tub Of water, when you will see that
the water comes up only to a certain
height in the glass. The bell is COW
cred with lead, to make it sink; at the
bottom is a floor, and seat, so the
diver can work, sitting or standing,
and, in good weather, he can read or
write in his bell, at the bottom of the
sea. A glass window at the top gives
him light, and cock lets out the air
ceive air without the water coming
into tho bell, by means of leather
pipes, which reach up to the vessel
from which the bell IS suspended. The
air in one of these pipes being ex-
hausted, another is let down. A leaden
mask was also invented, which
covers the head, and enables him to
leave the bell and 60 some distance in
the sea. This mask contains enough
air to last some minutes, and has an air
pipe communicating with the bell; and
guides him back to it, that he may not
miss his way. which would of course
be death to him. BY this machine, they
go for pearls to the very bottom of the
deep, and remain more than an hour.
When the diver finds that he must
ascend, he gives signal to the vessel
by pulling his rope, that goes up from
the bell. When he first comes up.
however. he must be cautious how he
breathes, as a sick man recovering has
to be cautious about the quantity of
food he eats. .-PdnSy.