Evening star., 1899-08-12
PEARLS OF PANAMA
Average Value of Gems Secured
About $50, 600 a Year. "
PRECAUTIONS TAKEN AGAINST THEFT
Searching for These Ornaments Has
Become an important Industry
70 RT MES IN STEERS

FORTUNES IN OYSTERS
Correspondents of tho Chicago Record
Tho magnificent pearls which ornament
the crown of Spain and which are so much
admired by tourists who visit the cathe-
drals at Sevilfe and Toledo were found in
oyster shells in the Bay of Panama. and
the large strings and clusters which the
Spaniartis 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 considerable extent
at Panama In the spring OF 1879 a boy
fifteen years old found an oyster that con-
cealed a Jewel now offered for sale In Paris
for Sloeeo. He received $1,000 for st from
a negro speculator named Justiana The
latter brought 1t to Panama and sold Il TO
Felix Erhman. the banker, for a considera-
hle advance on that price. At the Erhman
hankine house the other day saw an as
sortmCnt of pearls valued all the WAY from
$50 10 5000 which are Panama 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 York because Of the duty imposed
upon them by our government. Those that
go are smuggled.
The annual harvest Of pearls here win
are sever al firms engaged IN tho business
Prospero Penal Pisa Pisa, Arosenema
Hermanos. Madura Hermanos and others
The Erhmans do no 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 mile from the regular
steamship anchorage that contained a
pearl worth 2.4O0. but the largest beds are
about thirty mites from the city. The oys-
ters are much larger than those found in
northern waters, and the shells are even
Larger still. The oysters are rank and con-
perry, but are healthful and are eaten by
the natives. The smaller ones are often
brought TO the Panama market.
The Pearl Islands.
The pearl islands. as they are called, COM
pose an archipelago on the west side OF
Panama bay, about thirty miles from the
steamship landing There are sixteen ISL
ands and several large rocks, with between
thirty and forty little villages of negroes
and mixed Indians, population of perhans
l,pOO all told, engaged in pearl diving. The
Islands are low and heavily timbered and
the soil is fertile. The cocoanut groves aud
long stretches of white beach that gllsten
like silver in the sun make pretty picture
Most of the islands belong to the merchants
L have named, who cultivate the soil as well
as manage the fisheries. The largest called
Rey, which has about one-half the pepula-
tion, is fifteen mil IS long and seven broad.
San Miguel-St. Michael-the chief town and
headquarters of the fisheries is nothing
more than a cluster Of palm-thatched huts.
Several stores are built Of wood and cor
rugated iron, and a church OF stone is
larger and more costly than all the rest OF
the buildings of the town combined.
The population, mostly coiored, are de-
scended from the slaves that We're original
ly employed by the Spaniards in pearl div
ing. Since freedom came in 1924 the de-
scendants of the old villagers have carried
on the business under different regulations.
The divers, like the gold miners, who were
also slaves, were formerly kept in 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. 1t must have been difficult TO induce
independent citizens. however humble, 10
submit to such treatment: but even then,
with all the precautions that were el1er-
cised, the finest pearls were smuggled cut
from the islands, just the finest dla-
monds have been smuggled out from the
corrals in Brazil and South Africa / saw
in Paris few years ago the greatest gem
of modern times. 1t is without history.
Expensive diamonds have pedigrees like.
horses and pictures, and experts can trace
them back from owner to owner until they
were first known; but this diamond was
never seen or heard of until It was offered
for sale at the Paris exposition In 1889, and
was surprise to all of the dealers in Eu-
rope. There are many conjectures 20 lts
origin. but ii was undoubtedly stolen by
some miner and smuggled out of corral in
South Africa.
Methods of Operating.
Some years ago. when the royal mail
steamer Guadiana was wrecked on the
coast of Brazil. we had among the passen-
gers Belgian diamond smuggler, whe
went into the mining districts I'm the inte-
rior every year and purchased gems from
saloon keepers and others who could COM
municate with miners inside OF the pen He
had a belt around his waist containing $780,
Rff Wprfh Of Of
and was in constant terror for fear they
would be discovered and confiscated, be-
cause there is heavy expert duty imposed
on diamonds by the Brazilian government.
He bought his stones very low of course
because neither the miners nor the saloon
keepers 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 permits to natives
to fish in them upon the payment Of n GER
tain rental and a heavy percentage Of the
pearls recovered, and they in turn pay a
heaVy tax to the government. The divers
cen bring up all the oysters they please
The shells are valuable for mother-of-pearl
so that the time is not wasted even ii they
contain no gems.
The divers plunge into ten or twelve faith
oms of water for the best pearls are found
in the deepest beds and bring uD as MANY
shelis as they can in their arms, which their
course, only few contain pearls which
are deformitieS-excrescence formed by the
secretions of the oyster clinging 10 and ac-
cumulating upon foreign particles which
have intruded into its cloister. Someti.aes
a tiny bit of sand lodges in the shell, and
the saliva and other secretions battle It day
after day, just as they bathe the inside Of
the shell, and form the pearly coating N
always contains. Pearls are therefore ACCT
dents, and not one oyster In a hundred con-
tains them. The divers work for davs
sometimes for weeks, without finding
single pearl and the only reward Of their
iaoor is the smells, which are worth from
to cents each in the New York rnarkes
and from 3 to cents in Panama
Valuation Varies.
Most Of the pearls are small. according to
the growth. and II they could be left in the
water would grow larger. Some are mi
mute. like bird shot. which are worth from
u to $40 each. Occasionally they find one
as Dig as small pea, which will sell FOR
20 or $50. The value varies with the siza
ana perfection. / saw a beautiful great
black pear-shaped pearl at Mr. Erhman's