The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-11-14
THE FINDING OF PEARLS.

Pearls are mostly discovered in the
waters of the tropics, the market being
principally supplied from the Cults of
California and Mexico and the coasts of
Australia, Ceylon and the islands Of the
Pacific. Pearls are mostly found in
mollusks but the true pearls of fashion
are produced by the pearl oyster or
mother of pearl. When diving for pearls
the diver also counts on the shells,
which are in reality his bread and but
ter. They are as large as dinner plates
and weigh two pounds. Sold in the
London market they bring $500 a ton. or
about shillings pair.
Divers are for the most part Kama
kas, Malays, East Indians, Japanese and
Chinese, with few English and Ger
mans. Most of them own their boats.
Their Breakfast can be nothing more
substantial than coffee and bread, for it
is impossible to work under the water
with full stomach. The diver who
does days work often covers twenty
miles. as the pearl oyster does not like
company and sometimes the shells are
half mile apart.
Pearl diving is carried on at depth
of 60 to 108 feet; the latter depth pre-
vents diver remaining under longer
than ten minutes on account of the
pressure. If the water is clear objects
nov I,a caop Of a d;otopoo ~ fftv foot
but il strong winds or tides have stirred
the water up it is necessary to go on all
fours to find bottom. A good days work
is anything over 200 shells, 1000 having
been picked up in that time by one for.
tunate diver.
Pearls can never be reckoned on as
certainties, one diver perhaps opening a
ton Of shells without finding anything
but seed pearls, while another may
make his fortune out of days gather
ing. The most famous pearl discovered
in Australian waters of late years is
that known as the Southern Cross. II
consists of cluster of nine pearls in tn e
shape of perfect crucifx and is almost
| perfect in proportion. 1t was picked VI
by beach-comber at low tide, who at
ter burying it for some years sold it fol
low sum on account OF superstition
Although several of the pearls are off
color the last price it brought was some
thing like $4,000.
Diving cannot be called healthy
occupation for deafness, incipient para
lyeis and rhumatism are common dis
eases among divers. II diver at work
remains quiet he is quickly surrounded
by curious fishes that watch him in open
mouthed wonder. Sharks are not ap
to attack man in diving armor. Octo
pi are seldom met with. though occa
sionally one learns of an encounter
Many OF the native divers lose thei
lives though meeting the gigantic mol
lusks that close with vise-like grip OF
anything that brushes the edge Of thu
she'll The stoneish, which is but few
inches in lenght, turks under the pear
shells and bites the unwary diver with
a poisonous result. Black and yellow
| sea snakes are a divers constant com
| panion, though they are harmless. The
| diver finds on the sea bottom varied
and beautiful landscape at times. Drop.
| ping from under the scorching tropical
sun through crystal depths, he finds 6
| vast, cool conservatory of tropical
| plants, anemones and sea flowers tinted
all hues, while thousands of tiny fishes
gay as butterflies, float in and out.