The record-union., 1899-09-15
PEARL HARVEST OF PANAMA
Magnificent Gems in the Crown of
Spain.

Magnificent Gems in the Crown of
Spain.
The magnificent pearls which orna-
ment the crown Of Spain and which
are so much admired by tourists who
visit the cathedral at Seville and To-
ledo were found in oyster shells in the
Bay of Panama, and the large strings
ana clusters which the Spaniards took
from the Indians both on the north
and west coasts of South America
came from the same source Pearl
fishing is still carried on to a consid-
cradle extent at Panama In the spring
of 1899 boy 15 years old found an
oyster that concealed a jewel now of
fered for sale in Paris for $4,000. He
received $4,000 for it from a negro
| speculator named Justiana The lat
ter brought it to Panama and sold it
| to Felix Erhman, the banker. for Il
considerable advance on that price At
the Erhman banking house the other
day L saw an assortment of pearls val
ued all the way from 500 to $1,000
winch are Panama prices. and consid-
eraDly lower than those that would be
asked Tor the same jewels in London
Paris, or New York. Few pearls are
sent to New York because of the duty
imposed upon them by our Government
Those that go are smuggled
The annual harvest of pearls here
will average a value of about $3.50. 600
There are several firms engaged in the
business-Prosper Penal, Pisa Pisa,
Arosenema, Hermanoe. Madura Her
mo mn 9th IT, IL
no fishing, but buy pearls of specula-
| tors.
Pearl oysters are found in all parts
of Panama Bay Two years ago an
ordinary fisherman found one near Ia
| boga Island not more than half a
| mile from the regular steamship an
chorage, that contained pearl worth
S2,400, but the largest beds are about
thirty miles from the city. The oysters
are much larger than those found in
northern waters, and the shells are
even larger still. The oysters are rank
and coppery, but are healthful and are
eaten by the natives. The smaller ones
are often brought to the Panama mar
ket
The pearl islands, as they are called,
compose an archipelago on the west
side of the Panama Bay, about thirty
miles from the steamship landing.
There are sixteen islands and several
/ large rocks, with between thirty and
forty little villages of negroes and
mixed Indians, a population of perhaps
1 900 all told, engaged in pearl diving.
The islands are low and heavily tim
bered, and the soil is fertile The CO.
~ - -
white beach that glisten like silver in
the sun make a pretty picture. Most
of the islands belong to the merchants
I have named, who cultivate the soil
as well as manage the fisheries. The
largest called Ray which has about
one-haf the population is fifteen miles
long and seven broad. San Miguel
st. Michael-the chief town and head
quarters of the fisheries, is nothing
more than a cluster of palm-thatched
huts. Several stores are built of wood
and corrugated iron, and church Of
stone is larger and more costly than
all the rest of the buildings of the town
combined.
The population, mostly colored, are
descended from the slaves that were
originally employed by the Spaniards
in pearl diving. Since freedom came in
1894 the descendants of the old viii
layers have carried on the business un-
der different regulations. The divers,
like the gold miners, who were also
slaves, We're formerly kept in pens like
the diamond diggers of Brazil and
South Africa. Perhaps that was the
reason why convicts and slaves only
fo,. II Z ~ n
been difficult to induce independent
citizens, however humble to submit to
such treatment: but even then, with all
the precautions that were exercised.
the finest pearls were smuggled out
from the islands, just as the finest dia-
monds have been smuggled out from
the corrals in Brazil and South Africa.
/ saw in Paris a, few years ago the
greatest gem of modern times. 1t is
without a history. Expensive diamonds
have pedigrees like horses and pic
, lures, and experts can trace them back
from owner to owner until they were
first known; but this diamond was new
er seen nor heard of until it was Of
fered for sale at the Paris Exposition
i'll 1889, and was a surprise to all OF
the dealers in Europe. There are many
conjectures as to it's origin, but it was
undoubtedly stolen by some miner and
smuggled out of corral in South
Africa
Some years ago, when the royal mail
steamer Guadiana was wrecked on the
coast of Brazil we had among the pas
sengerS a Belgian diamond smuggler
who went into the mining districts in
the interior every wear and purchased
gems from saloonkeepers and others
who could communicate with miners
inside of the pen. He had a belt around
his waist containing $3.50 900 worth OF
uncut stones of various sizes, and was
in constant terror for fear they would
be discovered and confiscated, because
there is a heavy export duty imposed
on diamonds by the Brazilian Govern
ment He bought his stones very low,
of course, because neither the miners
nor the saloonkeepers had any correct
idea of their value, and they had few
opportunities for selling them They
were therefore glad to get the best price
that was offered
There are two methods of operating
at the pearl islands in Panama Bay.
The owners of the oyster beds give per-
mits to natives to fish in them upon the
payment of a certain rental and
heavy percentage of the pearls recov-
cred, and they in turn pay heavy tax
to the Government The divers can
bring up all the oysters they please.
The shells are valuable for mother-of-
pearl, SO that the time is not wasted,
even If they contain no gems.
nh iyotn tpr ar