The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-08-07
GEMS IN PANAMA BAY.
How Pearls Are Secured by the
Divers.

From the Chicago Record.
At Sea in the South Pacific. July THE
magnificent pearls which ornament the
crown of Spain. and which are SO much
admired by tourists who visit The cathe-
drals at Seville and Toledo were found in
oyster shells in the bay of Panama. and
the large strings and clusters which the
Spaniards took from the Indians both on
the north and west coasts OF South Amor
lea came from the same source Pearl
fishing IL still carried on to a CONSIDER ,ble
extent at Panama. In the spring of 1899
a boy of Is years old found an oyster that
concea ed n Jewel now offered for sale I'm
Paris for $4,000. He received $1,000 for II
from negro Spectator named Justiana.
The latter brought II 10 Panama and sod
It to Felix Erhman, a banker, for a con-
siderable advance on that price. At the
Erhman banking house the other day
saw an assortment of pearls valued all
the way from $50 to "a 900. which are PAN
anna prices, and considerably lower than
those that would be asked for the same
jewels in London, Paris or New York.
Few pearls are sent TO New Yo x. because
o. the duty imposed upon them by our
government. Those thai go are smugg,ed
The annual harvest of pearls here win
average value of about $780, 600 There
are several firms engaged in the business
-Prospero Panal, Pisa Pisa. Arosenena
Hermanos, Madura Hermanos and others.
The Ehrmans do not do any fishing. but
buy pearls of SPECTATORS
Pearl oysters are found In all parts of
Panama bay. Two years ago an ordinary
fisherman found one near Taboga Island,
not more than half a mile from the reg
ular steamship anchorage, that contained
pearl worth $500, 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 ars
even larger still. The oysters are rank
and coppery, but are healthful and ara
eaten by the natives. The smaller ones
are often brought to the Panama market.
The pearl islands, as they are called
compose an archipelago on the west side
OF Panama bay about thirty miles from
the steamship landing. There are sixteen
islands and several large rocks. with be-
tween thirty and forty little villages of
negroes and mixed Indians a population
of perhaps 1000 all told, engaged in pearl
diving. The islands are low and heavily
timbered and the soil is fertile. The cocoa
nut groves and long stretches OF white
beach that glisten like silver in the sun
make pretty picture Most of the is
lands belong to the merchants have nam
ed, who cultivate the soil as well as man
age the fisheries. The largest, called Rey
which has about one-haH The population.
is fifteen miles long and seven broad. San
Miguel-St. MichaeI-fhe chief town and
headquarters of the fisheries is nothing
more than a cluster OF Unattached
huts. Several stores are built Of wood and
corrugated iron,-nnd a church of stone is
larger and more costly than all the rest Of
the buildings of the town combined
The population, mostly colored. are de-
scended from the slaves that were origi-
nally employed by the Spanlards In pearl
diving. Since freedom came in 1924 the des-
cendants OF the old villagers have carried
on the business under different regula-
tons. The divers like the gold miners. who
were also slaves, were formerly kept ln
pens like the diamond diggers of Brazil
and South Africa. Perhaps that was the
reason why convicts and slaves only were
used for this work. II must have been
difhcult to induce independent citizens,
however humble, 10 submit to such treat
ment; but even then, with all the pnecau-
tons that were exercised, the finest pearls
were struggled out from the islands, just