The National tribune., 1899-05-04
pEARhS III THE PHILIPPINES.
Fisheries Of Some Value Not Worked
Among the Islands of tho suiu Group,

|
| Among the Islands of tho suiu Group,
In the picturesqueiy miscellaneous col
lection of Sultans, active volcanoes, ra-
jahs, Dyak pirates, and so FORTH handed
over TO the United States in the far Pa
cific as one result of the Spanish-Ameri-
can war, are the important pearl fish,
cries attached to the Sulu Islands-pearl
fisheries that, since the decline of those
| of Ceylon and the Persian Gulf, divide
with the north coast of Australia tho
reputation Of being the most valuable in
| the world
| The Sulu pearl grounds have for some
time been controlled by men or COM
panies with large capital, of which the
chief is great London jewelry firm:
| These capitalists equip and send out
| fleets OF from 20 TO 30 moderate sized
schooners upon annual cruises, and en-
pioy in the pursuit, besides European
oficers and supercargoes, many hum
dreds, if not thousands, of native divers.
1t may be information to many that the
chief revenue OF the pearl fishing indus
| try is derived not from the pearls-a very
| uncertain contingency-but from the
pearl shells, or mother-of pearl, which
brings in the market Sl00 ton and up
ward. AS an illustration Of this, while
the West Australian pearl fisheries not
ted in one year $500, 600 from the shells,
the returns from the find of pearls was
valued at little more than S150,000, or
about one third. In this respect, while
the pearls found in the Sulus are OF the
finest quality, the mother of pearl is some
times characterized by a yellowish tint.
which renders it less valuable CONNER
cially than that obtained on the adjacent
Australian banks.
The actual diving operations are car
ried on chiefly by the natives, though Of
late years Europeans, with diving ap-
paratus, have in some instances been
employed. The former method is sim,
plicity itself. The diver being denuded
of his clothes and provided with knife
and a small net bag in which to gather
the shells, and having 40 pound stone
attached to his feet, draws deep breath, |
and is let rapidly down by rope INTO the
transparent waters. The depth at which |
pearl diving is generally carried OH 10
from 50 to 40 feet, though depths of 80
feet have been thus reached in few in
stances. Once at the bottom, the diver
quickly proceeds to cut the shells from
the rocks in his neighborhood, and while
filling his bag remains under water Tor q
period of 60 to 100 seconds.
When n vessel has received its full
capacity of from 10000 to 10000 shells, il
is put into the shore, where the cargo is
landed and piled high on the beach Tor
the sun to assist in causing the decom-
position of the dead fish, SO that the
pearls may be the more easily obtained.
During the cleaning and washing process
great care is exercised in order to dis
cover the loose pearls, which, being
nearly all perfect spheres, are the most
for stringing or necklace puf-
poses; after which the shells are exam
ined for those that may remain attached.
furnishing the many quaint shapes to be
seen in jewelers. windows. Pearls OF
value are seldom discovered in shells
under four years of age-the age being
by the weight Of the shells-l
and eight years, it would seem, being tho
extreme limit Of pearl mussel longevity.
The pearls found in the Sulus are re-
markable for their fine white color and
soft, iridcScent sheen.