Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1901-09-13

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tributed, however, to the hustle and
excitement of the waters during the
fishing season frightening away those
dreaded creatures.
The divers are sometimes paid fixed
wages; Others agree for one.fourth oil
the produce. When a boat load oi
oysters has been obtained, it returns
to shore, and the cargo, sometimes
amounting to 10000 or 10000, is land
ed and piled on the shore to die and
putrify, in order that the pearls may
easily be found. The heaps are
formed in small walled compartments,
the walls surrounding each being
about two feet in height. Several OF
these compartments surround small
central enclosure, in which is bath,
and they slope toward this bath, and
are each connected with it by small
channel, SO that any pearls washed
out of the purifying mass by the rain
may be carried into the bath.
When the animals in the shells are
sufficiently decomposed, the washing
commences, and great care is taken to
watch for the loose pearls, which are
always by far the most valuable. The
shells are then examined, and if any
attached pearls are seen, they are
handed over to the clippers, who, with
pincers or hammer, skilfully remove
them. Such pearls are used only for
setting, while the former, being usual
ly quite round, are drilled and strung,
and can be used for beads, etc.
The workmen who are employed to
drill the pearls also round the irregu.
lar ones and polish them with great
skill. The method of holding the
pearls during this operation is very
curious; the workmen make a number
of holes of small depth in a piece of
dry wood, and in these they fit the
pearls, so that they are only partly be-
low the surface of the wood, which
they then place in water. As the
wood soaks up the water il swells, the
pearls become tightly fixed, and are
then perforated, etc. These opera.
tions are all carried on on the spot.
For many miles along the shore, the
accumulation Of shells is enormous.
This is not TO be wondered at when it
10 remembered that this fishery has
been in active operation for at least
1000 years. The place itself is ex-
ceedingly barren, and dreary, and, ex-
cept during the fishing season, 10 al
most deserted, but at that time it pre-
sents an exceedingly animated spec.
tacle; Thousands of people of various
countries and castes are here drawn
together-some for the fishing. others
to buy pearls, and others to feed the
multitude. They chiefly reside in
tents, 90 that it appears a vast en-.
campment.
The pearls vary much in size; those
as large as pea, and of good form
and color, are the .best, except unusl-
ally large specimens, which rarely oc-
cur. The most extraordinary pearl
found is known as the Hope pearl,
from the name of the gentleman who
owned it. This measured two inches
in length and four inches in circum-
ference and weighed $500 grains.
The smaller ones are sorted into sizes
the very smallest being known as
seed pearls. A considerable quantity
of these last are sent TO China, where
they are said to be calcined and used
in Chinese pharmacy.
Among the Romans the pearl was q
great favorite, and enormous prices
we're paid for fine ones. The single
pearl which Cleopatra is said to have
dissolved and swallowed was valued at
$4O0, 900; and one of the same value
was cut into two pieces for ear-rings
for the statue of Venus in the Panthe.
on at Rome. Coming down to later
times, we read of pearl in Queen
Elizabeth's reign, owned by Sir
Thomas Gresham, which was valued
at 5000, and which he is said to
have treated after the fashion Of Cleo.
patra; for he powdered it and drank it
in glass of wine to the health of the
Queen, in order to astonish the Span
ish ambassador, with whom he had
laid wager that he would give a
more costly dinner than could the
Spaniard.
Even the most inferior pearls have a
market value; for pearls can only be
properly polished with pearl dust, and
the inferior pearls are powdered for
the purpose OF polishing and rounding
them.
An Aberdeen fisherman, named
Mccullough, had a narrow escape
from drowning the other day. The
tide floated his boat off and he started
to swim after it, but gentle wind
kept the property just out of his
reach. A strong current caught and
carried him out to the middle OF the
river, beyond help, and he was going
down for the last time when q local
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