The morning times., 1896-12-13
OLD OCEANS WEALTH OF GIsaIs.
Rich Harvest of Pearls Taken From
the Gulf of California.
San Francisco ca

san FRANCISCO CAL.
The agent of the English proprietors of
the concession granted by the Mexican Be
public for Il monopoly of pearl fishing in the
Gulf of California, recently arrived in San
Francisco, and gave some interesting details
OF the present methods employed in their
Industry, which has continued ever since
the occupation of the country in the time OF
--eortez
The whole coast Of the Gulf Of C alirornia
aheunds in pearls, and the concessions con-
trol the entire territory. Until within the
lastfew years native divers We're employed,
and the depth 10 which they could descend
did not exceed thirty-five feet. With the
Introduction OF diving apparatus the limit
of depth was increased to thirty fathoms
The best divers could formerly remain under
water not 10 exceed tw minutes modern
diver thinks nothing of a two-hour stop in
water hundred feet III depth, though at
greater depths the stay is necessarily short
ened on account OF the enormous pressure OF
the superintendent water.
diver, when upon the floor of the ocean,
looks about for the oyster, which he tears
from the object to which il is attached
and places 1t in a small bag hanging to a
rope, which is hauled into the boat on a
given signal. Sometimes the number OF
oysters secured is large: at other times only
few are caught The diver does not
ttHllllt ltllStI 10 the DeuTI oyster alone.
but if he sees a rare specimen of coral or
new species OF shell he places t in his bag
and sends 1t to the surface, where it be-
comes the property OF the concession and
! one source Of its large income.
Last year the value of the pearls har-
| vested in Lower California was alone $780,
| 900. in addition 5000 tons of shells were
| exported, which were valued at 81 .25O, 900
| more. Pearl fishing is the entire occupation
| Of the natives, and. La PaZ the headquar-
ters, city OF the peninsula, with about
1000 inhabitants, is solely dependent upon
| the industry. The business is one of chance,
and the pursuit is a fascinating one to the
| natives, who are born gamblers.
Every oyster does not contain its pearl
| and only at intervals, and rare ones at that,
is a really valuable pearl discovered. The
| largest one ever found was about three
quarters OF an inch in diameter, and was
sold in Paris to the Emperor of Austria for
| 1000. Many black pearls are found
| in Lower California, and are valued higher
than the pure white. The large ma iority
| are seed pearls, and are of only moderate
| value.
! San Francisco is not the market for Mex
| lean pearls, though it ought to be. The
| harvest is exported straight to London and
| Paris and distributed from those great
| markets.
The dangers of pearl fishing have always
| Deen eXdSSerdtetl, possibly TO give Il nc
| titious value to the beautiful gems. The
| loss of life in the fisheries in Lower Cali
| fornia was undoubtedly larger before the
introduction of the diving dress. but it
| is not an established fact that the deaths
were always caused by the shark or uc-
topus, though these marine monsters are
| without doubt responsible for the loss of
many lives Every diver has plenty of
hair-raising stories to relate of narrow es-
capes from death, but as he is the only
witness of these affairs it makes the diff
Guilty of substantiating them 50 much the
greater.
The occupation at best is hazartlou!
| one, and those who Were engaged in il
before the introduction of diving apparatus
were always short-lived. The demand in
the worlds market for pearls of extra
beauty is always far in excess OF tht
supply.