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THE PEARL
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Lower
California from its junction with the United States to Cape San Lucas.
La Paz is the principal centre of the fisheries. An English syndicate
has a concession from the Mexican government which was lately renewed,
for fishing about La Paz. Pearls worth $350,000, among them many fine
black pearls, and five thousand tons of shells valued at $1,250,000,
were taken in 1904. This syndicate employs all the modern appliances.
Beds
are known and worked from La Paz to and about the island of Loreto on
the east coast, and at the island of Tiburon over on the East side of
the gulf, and from Mazatlan all along the coast of Mexico proper to the
boundary line of Guatemala. These beds were discovered by Cortez in
1536 and were worked spasmodically for two centuries; then for a period
they were fished so constantly and thoroughly that the market was
over-loaded with pearls and the supply of oysters seriously diminished.
Of late years fishing has been again carried on systematically and with
sufficient judgment to prevent the immediate destruction of the beds as
before.
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