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PEARL FISHERIES
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A
pearl oyster-bed ten miles long has lately been located at the Punta de
Santa Cristoval. The Mexican season for fishing varies in localities
from May to November, or June to December. The day's work of the diver
commences at near the ebb tide and ends shortly after the beginning of
the flood tide, about three hours in all. Much fishing is done by
independent naked native divers, in a manner similar to that of the
Hindus and Arabs, but some of the large concessionaires supply their
divers with helmets and other modern appliances.
Schooners
of various sizes having several boats, carry the fishing parties to the
banks and the men live on them through the entire season. The daily
catches are delivered to an armed boat which carries the oysters
ashore, where they are at once searched for pearls. These when found
are immediately sorted and valued, a percentage going to the diver in
addition to his wages, if he is a regular employee of the Company.
The
oysters are found adhering to rocks by the byssus, generally in
bunches, hinge-side down, curved side up and the shells slightly
243
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