The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1893-06-03
A GROUP OF coNcH SHELLS.

mems of the Opaque gem, but they cam
not claim the exclusive production of
these much-sought-for articles of COM
merce.
Oysters grown in any locality fire.
quently contain a prize, while even the
fresh water clam, which has its home
in tho beds of the clear-running
streams of New England, is eagerly
hunted, in the hope of finding an occa-
sional pearl.
Nearly every boy or girl has paused
before some well-lxept garden to adj
mire the beautiful conical-shapcd shells
arranged along the sides of the walks
and wondered what creatures had used
these houses for their habitations
These are the conch Shells They are
found in great profusion about the Ba-
hamas and West India islands.
This species of mollusl< are pearl-pro-
ducing, and, although the gems do not
rank in price with those taken from the
oyster, they are considered by many to
be much handsomer, as they arc of q
most delicate shade of pink, and as a
rule are quite large, not infrequently
being found the size Of n pea
A perfect oneof this dimension may
be purchased in the West Indies for
forty or fifty dollars, according to tho
financial condition of the finder, but in
the markets of Boston or New York it
would bring 4 much larger sum.
Some few years since on Key Francis,
q small coral island some twelve miles
off the northern coast of Cuba, I met a
party of conch hunters who had come
from the mainland.
All they had to do was to roll up their
trousers, wade out upon the reefs, where
the water was shallow, and gather the
clumsy fellows as they crawled slowly
along the bottom.
The ovster-aivers spread their catch
in the sun to allow the f1eshy substance
to decompose, then the shells are
washed and the pearl sought for. But
the conch-hunters pursue different
course, and one which seems very
cruel
They take a common fsh-hook, to
which is attached a piece of string
perhaps two feet in length, insert the
sharp point into the orifice of the heavy
shell and bury the barb in the head of
the helpless creature. The conchs are
then hung in rows upon poles, whose
ends rest on crotched sticks driven into
| the ground.
Slowly the mollusk is drawn from
| its abode by the weight of its own habi-
tation, but so tenacious are they OF life
that two hours or more will elapse ere
| they will let go their hold and give up
| the ghost.
The shell is not as yet wholly clean,
| but thorough rinsing round in q tub
| of water will dislodge any pearl which
may be lurking within.
One would think that the shells
| would be broken, but many blows with
| q heavy hammer would be needed be-
| fore any impression could be made on
| tho aint-lize substance. and this is too
| nrduous a task for the languid Cuban.
| The conch.pearl hunters never get
very rich; scarcely more than one oat Of
| q Thousand conch shells contains q
| prize. and half a dozen men would not
be able to gather and cleanse half that
| number in a day.
The shells find a ready market at ono
! dollar and half or two dollars per
hundred, according to their beauty, and
| thus the native is enabled to earn q
| living even if not fortunate enough to
obtain a pcarl.-Marlton Downing. in
! Wide Awake