The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1919-11-05
PEARL FISHING OFF
MEXICAN COAST
CRUISES IN THE GULF OF CALL
FORNIA FOR SHELLFISH-
WAGES AND REWARDS OF
DIVERS AND THE HAZARDS IN
THEIR WORK

Mexico City, Mexico-Few people
appreciate the hardships and risks in
Cured in pearl fishing. The Mexican
pearl fishery, which at one time pro-
duced some of the most wonderful
pearls that have ever come out of an
oyster, was operated from headquar-
tiers at La Paz, Lower California,
Mexico. The method adopted in the
Gulf of California and on the Pacific
coast. is as follows: A schooner is
fitted out for a six months cruise
and takes along with her anywhere
from six to ten 2S-foot luggers, each
provided with a diving pump, four
bumpers and a signal-man, who acts
as captain. Each boat has its diver,
who, until the pearling banks are
reached, lives on board the schooner
The food for all the, crew is pre-
pared on board the schooner, and
when the fleet is under sail, it is
passed in buckets to each boat, as it
comes up alongside. 1t is customary
to provide sufficient food to each boat
for three days, as in very rough
weather it is impossible for the small
boats to come alongside the mother
ship. Many times have the men in
their open boats had to go two days
without being able to obtain other
food than that supplied as storm re-
tons; but nevertheless when they
were able to come alongside, they
were. always cheerful The sailors
from Lower California are especially
hardy men, and very good sailors.
Wages and Rewards
When the feet arrives at or near
the pearling bank, the diver takes
charge of his boat and orders the
crew either to sail or row to the
particular spot he has in view. On
many occasions these divers will leave
at 3 o'clock in the morning and re-
turn at l o'clock in the afternoon for
their lunch; each their lunch and re-
turn to the pearling bank and work
until shutdown.
The scale of wages in recent years
was as follows: The diver received
and 10 per cent of the haul on week
days, and SO per cent on Sundays.
Apart from this he was paid SIS for
every $50 pearl oysters fished and an
extra premium for any one haul over
500 shells, increasing until he reach
ed a possible maximum of 1000 shells
Only on one occasion does the writer
remember having paid a premium on
one individual haul of 1000 shells for
one mornings work. The only obi
cation the diver had was to sell to the
owners any pearl that came out of
either his 10 per cent or so per cent
The signal-man earned a fixed wage
of $25 month with premium of rs
cents for each Sunday, and SO cents
for each afternoons work. The
bumpers were paid $40 a month and
so cents premium for every Sunday
and afternoons work; besides this,
for any special services they received
extra remuneration.
When once the pearl oysters were
counted and the divers proportion
put on one side, the oysters were all
chosen for that day were each handed
A knife with which to open the oys-
-ers in the presence of the man in
charge of the expedition, the captain
Of the ship, and such men who may
have been chosen for that day to
watch this phase Of the business.
1t may look very easy thing to
open a large pearl oyster, but unless
one knows the trick, there would De
very little of the oyster left intact
after it had been operated on by one
who did not know how to go about
the work.
Risks Incurred
The custom was when ore of the
men found pearl in the oyster, he
shouted out the word "Albriciasw
which means Coy! Joyp-to obtain
a reward for some good new, and
after examination of the pearl by the
man in charge of the expedition the
finder was rewarded either by cash
prize being credited to his account or
by some articles out of the store
carried on board to supply the crew
with clothing, hats and such small
things as may be required on a six
months cruise.
The divers part of the expedition
is. of course, the most important; and
when one considers that the pearling
banks along the coast Of Mexico run
in depth from IS feet to 1870 feet,
one can imagine that going down to
the bottom of the sea requires a man
with good courage. Perhaps the
fish most disliked by the diver is what
is called in Spanish "Manta" which is
of the skate family, varying from so
pounds to as high as one ton in