New-York tribune., 1901-07-22
PEARLS IN SULU SEA.
ONE OF THE MANY SOURCES OF WEALTH
IN PHILIPPINE POSSESSIONS

Washington July q (SpeciaD-"The Gazetteer"
OF the Philippine Islands. In course of compilation
by Colonel Clarence r. Edwards. Chief OF the
Insular Division Of the War Department, contains
among its serial numbers comprehensive account
Official OF the pearl and shell fisheries
Of the Sulu Archipelago. The article contains In
nutshell the economic and commercial value and
possibilities of this product within United states
Jurisdiction. It Will be surprising 10 Americans to
know more Of this hitherto practically unknown
resource of the intersland waters of their posses
sons In Eastern Asia.
During the year the value of shells not sawed.
cut, polished or otherwise manufactured imported
into the United States for home consumption was
1868 249 and In 1900 81 O672S a. The manufactures
of Shells rnotheT-of- pearl. etc. are now almost
entirely done in the United States. In these two
years named only $50 GIG 40 and 1882 32 respective
ly. OF shell and mother-of-pear of all kinds were
imported.
There was a time when Manila the centre OF
valuable trade. but the restrictive policy or the
Spanish Government drove 1t to Singapore the
British emporium Of the Straits Settlements. II
will now be In order bring this trade back. and
already encroachments upon these grounds are re-
ported to Washington. AT present the Chinese and
English have a monopoly at Suu.
The quantity of this product at Suu alone since
January 1900 according to Custom House returns.
was 222 s14 pounds of mother of pearl shells. valued
s75l2: black shells, lila pounds. valued at s4io
snail Shells 1870 pounds. valued at $500; total.
ssh 76l. The amount was exported approximate
would make aggregate of 4S3 242 pounds. valued
at s435 from the two Suu points alone. This does
not include the value of the pearls taken from
the mother of pearl she'll the finest OF which at
present go to the Sultan OF sulu as royalty
VALUE OF THE FISHERIES.
An idea may be formed of the value of these
fisheries operated when ii is mentioned that
the present Philippine Pearling and Trading Com
pany with headquarters Manila, is owned chiefly
by the Chartered Bank Of India Australia and
| China, the Hong-Kong and Shanghai Bank and
Holiday, Wise q Co. of Manila. 1t is not logical
TO suppose that financial institutions of such world
| wide commercial Influence would be Interested in
the working of a product If not of great value An
agreement between the Sultan and this English
company gives II exclusive right to fish, which the
United States authority at the Suu capital had
naturally refused recognize, ii being officially
recommended that 1T is not for the best interests
OF the archipelago. the Sultan commercially"
that this foreign company should exercise this
| right within American jurisdiction. Before the
signing of the protocol of 1856 the Sultan was paid
by foreigners for the privilege OF fishing. The
Sultan never recognized the protocol and fishing
therefore was done UNDER spanish gums uhiess Aor
In regard TO pearls Mr, otrseter. ; wen tI iI"
| station at Lamnusa, near sassi. says that the
Sulu Archipelago produces the finest round pearls
In the world. the first point OF excellence IN pearl
Brigadier-General John C Bates. who negotiated I
with the Sultan of Sulu, reported the Suiu pearl
fancy The sulu waters produce the finest type of
what known the Meteagrina Margarttfera.
the best of the pearl bearing mollusks The known
pearling in the sulu and Celebes seas posses
More than double that area possesses the Physltai
conditions necessary TO the best form OF pearl oyster
in the Tapul group of the Sulu Archipelago Is the
stratege centre OF the most active PehrhS ho9 m
the central station. There are a number or hshing
The old style of naked diving is being superseded
by modern equipment and method
A MONOPOLY AT SULU.
The monopoly OF the shell and pearl product OF
the immediate waters of Sulu the capital OF the
archioelago, is held by Chinese headman who
operates feet OF six boats of ten tons each and
crews OF seven and captain each cruise
lasts three weeks, each boat procuring from 1900
I to 25a) pounds shells in that time the fleet IS
IN char rye of a supercargo, who among other duties
locks afteG the pearls nste Of Mania in baskets
where re- they bring s. pesos picui (lssis pounds
The pearls also marketed there. some having
been found OF estimated value of 1000 pesos
| Soon after the American occupation OF Sulu a
representative of New-York house went TO sun
for the purchase and shipment OF pearls ana smells
direct that city. The distance to Singapore from
SLASH 70 Manila COZ miles. about one-half the
distance from these pearIing GROUNDS M 81 ,+taros
pearl Shell Of the world are sulu eunised statesl
Western Australia (ritish) Manila lost It's proni-
nence in 1856. previous to which IL was the great
known as Manila was recognized as the finest
in the market and COMMANDED the highest prices,
The value of pearls IN their natural state or split
imported into the United States for home consunp-
tOn, was:
1893 So2 81
1901 Cfor nine months ending March 80 1Os6 $50
At present Great Britain mouopozes the export
of shells from the shell and pearl grounds OF the
world the value being in 1885, the latest available
returns follows:
Ion - .............st 4.G01 GO
snrn,er Manila radeJ....... Ia, so 40
finpi mn nd an IN Their own ,r51i,rfa s7a7 ~
O?ri;isfl
Queensland CForTes Strait (Britishb J84 lao 0S
sarts of n,eTfshlng, ....',......... o. To3 Sc
II Is hardly necessary TO say that the mother-of-
pearl shell is used for the ornamentatioa OF fans
and carccases knife handles, expensive dressing
case equipments, buttons, stained glass decorations
md long list articles I'm which taste and expert
handferaft are combined The origin OF the pearl,
its place in trade history and the fisheries OF
The world co1,:nete this interesting contribution
10 the descriptive material bringing TO public atten-
ton the many novel sources of material wealth
found in the new Asiatic possessions