The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1888-12-27
MOTHER-OF-P
Where the Supplies Of This Ma
terial Are Obtained.
Men, Women and Children Dive
After the Oysters.

How little people generally know
about many Of tho things which they
have In common use. This il notably
true iE the matter Of tho material
known as mother.of-pearl, which is
used for jewelry, crochet hooks paper
knives, knile handles and variety oi
other objects Where docs it come
from, and how Is it obtainedl are ques-
tions which are not readily answered.
From writer Ia La Naturc---an agent
of the French g government, sont to in
quire into the production of mother-of-
pearl-it Is learned that this article is
the principal production Of Tahiti, that
this Is what stimulates her commerce
and gives rise to tho relative important
exchanges which take place in the far
off lands of Oceanlca, and that this is
what attracts those vessels which, for a
century past, have been sailing among
the desolate and wild islands that make
up the archipelayoes of Taumotu, Gam
bier and Tuhuai. On account OF its
rarity, mother.ot-pearl has always been
on object of luxury. Beiore navigators
went to that part of the world which is
lost in the immensity of the Pacific
Ocean it was still rarer than it Is now;
it had moro value, perhaps, but it was
assuredly neither more sought for nor
more priced.
The mother pearl employed in the
industries is furnished by tho various
species of shell fishes, the most es-
toemed, most iridescent and also the
most beautiful being that produced by
the pearl oyster. Again, two sorts Of
pearl oysters arc distinguished. Oae
of these, known as the plntadino (mc-
leagrina margiritifera), is found in
China, the Indies, in tho Red Sea off
the Comoro islands, to the northwest Of
Aust ralia, il the Gulf of Mexico, and
particularly off the Taumctu and Gam
bier islands. Tho other, more COM
monty known as the pearl oyster, is
touad in tho ladies', in the sea of
the Antilles, in tn, Red Sea and to the
north of Australia. Tho piutadine
has harder, more azure and more
transparent shell, and one that
attains lnrgor dimeaeieae ,thau that of
the latter. Some have been found that
measured as many as IL inches in diam
eter, and weighed moro than 20 pounds.
The meleagrina radiata rarely exceeds
four inches in its largest dimensions,
and never reaches weight of five
ounces. The two species furnish pearls.
According to the fashion or the pre-
vailing taste, sometimes those of ono
are preferred and sometimes those Of
the other; nevertheless pintadine havo
brighter lustro and more Transparent
and intense tones than those Of its con-
gencr.
1t is difficult. the writer says, to es-
innate tho money value of tho pearls
collected in the French possessions OF
Ocoanica. In his opinion it would
amount to $50, 900 a year. The most
important market for fuo pearls is
found in England.
The pintadino comes from the tropics.
Tho archipelago of Taumotu and Gam
bier, as already stated, is tho point
where it is found in the greatest abun-
dance. Hero it finds surroundings that
are most c,ngcnial to it. This archi
pelago, which was annexed to Fran CT
at the same timo as tho islands of Ia.
hiti and Moovea consists O
80 islands, almost all o
which yield mother of-pearl and
~ of which are inhabited Internationally
by individua of the Maori race. Thi
people are said to,b, industrious, docile
submissive, of mild and simple man
ners, observant of law, and regulation!
imposed on them. and are at the sam,
time one of the poorest classes o
people on the globe. Tho marrow
tongue of land, or rather tn, crown o
arid reefs that surround the lagoon o
these coral islands, and which is desti-
tute of vegetation, scarcely affords thi
people sufficient food for their mserabl,
and precarious xlstence.