The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1912-05-09
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IKE .RLG4WL4Z CREWS

divers are careful to dry their bodies thorough.
Iy after cach descent and tn take sufficient
rest Between dives they often smoke pipe
or cigarette sometimes while in the water Just
preparatory 10 a dive
The divers have learned by experience that
they may increase the length of their SUI.
merCence by making number of deep. forced
respiratory efforts before taking the plunge"
Most exaggerated stories have been told and
are still current regarding the length Of time
the divers can remain under water.
The Arab divers wear noseclasps Of flexible
horn attached to cord around their neck.
while the divers OF other races simply com.
press their nostrils by hand during the de-
scent This practice can hardly make any dit
ference in efficiency, and We must conclude
that the expcrtness of the Arabs depends on
an aptitude born Of long experience
Their usual time below the surface is co to
70 seconds the normal maximum not exceed.
ing 90 seconds while the Tamil and Moormen
divers range from 81 to 80 or Go seconds. de
pending on the depth. There is a well anthem.
ticated case In 1887 Of an Arab who remained
under for 100 seconds In water fathoms deep
lender the arrangement that has prevailed
for many years, the divers are allowed to re-
tain one.third Of their catch to dispose Of "a
they please. The government retains the re-
mninder and sells it at auction
II is very difficult matter to extract the
pearls from perfectly fresh oysters either by
sight or by touch, or by both combined; conse-
quently it has long been the practice to allow
the decomposition of the soft parts before the
search for the pearls Is begun.
The oysters are piled into dugout canoes
and covered with. mating or else set aside in
coarse sacks for 7 to 10 days. Bacterial putie.
faction Is supplemented by the work of blow.
flies and their larvae, and at the end o. the
period stated the dIsntegration, decomposI.
ton and digestion OF the oysters have FRO.
crossed so far that there Is little left but
pearls. shells. slime and foreign matter adhcr.
ing to tho shells, together with a large volume
Of maggots. The first step In the cleaning
process Is the flooding Of the canoe TO the
brm; then the naked natives ranged on eth.
or side of the vessel remove the shells, wash.
Ing and rinsing them and removing any detri.
tus in which pearl may lodge
Eternal vigilance must be exercised by the
owners to prevent the theft Of pearls and one
Of the precautions taken Is to forbid the wash
crs to remove their hands from the water pX-
Cept to drop ut their feet the cleansed shells
The shells having been removed the canoe
is filed with water again and again and the
curry IL kncaded and stirred in order that the
lighter fifth may be iloatcd on The water is
finally decanted, and the heavier debris con.
lhIH'isS nc pearls IL TtIbNtu Win SCTupUlOUS
cars and wrapped In cotton cloth. undergoing
pr ',imInary search for the largest pearls and
numerous subsequent examinations In the
course Of drying.
The dried matter is then sfted and sorted and
gone over again and again. and then. when Il
would appear that even the dust pearls must
all have been extracted, the debris passes for
final search into the hands of women and
children, whose sharp eyes and delicate touch
enable them to discover an amazingly large
quantity of small pearls. The material then
remaining Is offered for sale and always finds
ready buyers.
The most productive fishery in the recorded
history of Ceylon was held in 1905. Three
hundred and eighteen vessels participated and
during the season that extended from February
20 to April 81 over S1,0O0O0O pearl oysters
were landed. whereas the best previous fish
cry. in 1891, yielded only 100000 900. On mum
Der of days over 100000 oysters were oh
tanned, and enc day, when 5.O05.00O were tax
en-. record was established that may never
again b. squalled