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Ch. 11: Pearl Fisheries

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	PEARL FISHERIES

	ready on the banks at sunrise. At the firing of a signal gun diving commences. A stone of granite, shaped like a pyramid and weighing about thirty to forty pounds, is attached through a hole at the smaller end to the cord by which the diver is lowered. Some divers prefer a half-moon stone fastened to the waist. Above the stone when attached to the line is a loop for the diver's foot. The divers work in pairs, one going down and the other remaining in the boat to attend to the line, and in some cases exchanging positions as the diver becomes exhausted. Naked divers stay below fifty to eighty seconds on an average, though some can remain under water longer. Each man makes forty to fifty descents a day and brings up fifteen to thirty oysters each time. As a rule the maximum depth in these waters is about forty-two feet though fishing at twelve and thirteen fathoms is reported. The divers work from sunrise to noon, which allowing for shifts gives each man four hours diving for a day's work. A gun is fired as a signal for the day's fishing to cease and the fleet starts at once for shore. Upon arriving there the oysters are immediately 15 225

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Catelle. The Pearl.

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1 Page 298 FACTS AND FANCIES In ancient days there was a b
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2 Page 299 pearls to the reception of raindrops from heaven by the oyst
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3 Page 304 extent by the acidity of the excretions of the human skin, s
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4 Page 307 previous to her husband's assassination by Ravaillac. The co
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5 Page 308 have swallowed it like a pill or, as Sir Thomas Gresham did
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6 Page 309 of the jewel, and sometimes even that is exceeded. The buy
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7 Page 300 ing to distinguish the male from the female. This fable also
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8 Page 302 centuries to disprove them, they received credence for more
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9 Page 303 A question often raised, and which by its periodical revival
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10 Page 305 the wonderment of the reader and perpetuate the impression t
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11 Page 306 The pearl is generally considered to be the emblem of innoce
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12 Page 310 black head-lines, and the morning papers of the following da
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13 Page 301 A year later these would be larger. It is also said that whe
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14 Page 311 limitations, we find big and little, fine and ordinary
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15 Page 312 of pearls to reiterated records of a few great pearls which
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16 Page 313 reasons are chary of information, nor will they make such pi
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17 Page 317 eighteen to fifty-two and three-quarter grains each, the lat
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18 Page 314 swallowed. He placed the value of that at $375,000. As the S
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19 Page 315 large as hen's eggs in the possession of the Rajah of Borneo
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20 Page 316 attention. They pass therefore among those considered unwort
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21 Page 318 weighed 93 grains and was sold to the Empress Eugenie.
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