Connecticut western news., 1889-01-02
MOTHER-OF-PEARL.
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 the things which they have in common use. This is notably truo in the matter of tho material known as mother-of- f-pearl, which is used for jewelry, crochet hooks, paper knives, knife handles and variety ol other objects Where does it come from, and how Is it obtaineda are ques- tions which are not readily answered. From writer h La Nature-an agent of the French g government, sent 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 the relative important exchanges which take place in the far off lands of Oceanics, 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 archipelagoes of Taumotu, Gam bier and Tuhuai. On account of it's rarity, mother-of pearl has always been an object of luxury! Before 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 more valuo, perhaps, but it was assuredly neither more sought for nor moro prized.
 The mother of pearl employed in the industries is furnished by the various species of shell fishes, tho most es- teemed, most iridescent and also the most beautiful being that produced by the pearl oyster. Again, two sorts of pearl oysters arc distinguished. Ono of these, known as the plntadine (mc- leagrina margiritifera), is found in China, the Indies, in the Red Sea off tho Comore islands, to the northwest of Aust ralia, ia tho Gulf of Mexico, and particularly off the Taumotu and Gam bier islands. Tho other, moro com. monly knowa as the pearl oyster, is found in the ladies, in the sea of the Antilles, in tho Red Sea and to the north of Australia. Tho pintadine has harder, more azure and moro transparent shell, and one that attains larger dimensions than that of the latter. Some have been found that measured as many as 12 inches in diam eter, and weighed more than 20 pounds. The meloagrina radiata rarely exceeds four inches in it's largest dimensions, and never reaches weight of five ounces. Tho two species furnish pearls. According to the fashion or the pre- vailing taste, sometimes those of one are preferred and sometimes those of the other; nevertheless pintadine have brighter lustro and moro transparent and intense tones than those of it's con- gener.
 It is difficult. the writer says, to es- timate the money value of tho pearls collectcl in the French possessions of Oceanica. In his opinion it would amount to $60, 900 year. Tho most important market for fne pearls is found in England.
 Tho pintadine comes from the tropics. The archipelago of Taumotu and Gam bier, as already stated, is the point where it is found in the greatest abun- dance. Here it finds surroundings that are most c,ngenial to it. This archi- pelago, which was annexed to Fran nce at the samo time as the islands of Ia hiti and Moovea consists oi 80 islands, almost all ol which yield mother of-pearl and 72 of which are inhabited internationally by individuals of the Maori race. This people are said to:bo industrious, docilc, submissive, of mild and simple man. ners, observant of laws and regulations imposed on them. and are at the same time ono of tho poorest classes oi people on the globe. The narrow tongue of land, or rather tho crown oi arid reefs that surround the lagoon oi these coral islands, and which is dcsti- tute of vegetation, scarcely affords this people sufficient food for their miserable ,ofo