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THE BOOK OF THE PEARL
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records dating from 550 b.c. Pliny, Ptolemy, Strabo, and other ancient writers speak of their importance.
The "Periplus of the Erythraean"—written about the end of the second century a.D.—refers
to these fisheries, and states that, owing· to the dangers involved, it
was customary to employ convicts therein. In the days of the "Arabian
Nights," under the name "Serendib," this was the scene of the pearling
adventures of Sindbad the Sailor, and the reputation of the valuable
pearl resources is reflected in those wonderful tales.
The
first extensive description we have of the Gulf of Manaar fisheries
was given by the Venetian traveler, Marco Polo, who visited the region
about 1294. He wrote :
The
pearl-fishers take their vessels, great and small, and proceed into the
gulf where they stop from the beginning of April till the middle of
May. They go first to a place called Bettelar, and then go 60 miles
into the Gulf. Here they cast anchor and shift from their large vessels
into small boats. You must know that the many merchants who go divide
into various companies, and each of these must engage a number of men
on wages, hiring them for April and half of May. Of all the produce
they have first to pay the king, as his royalty, the tenth part. And
they must also pay those men who charm the great fishes to prevent them
from injuring the divers whilst engaged in seeking pearls under water,
one-twentieth of all that they take. These fish-charmers are termined Abraiaman; and
their charm holds good for that day only, for at night they dissolve
the charm so that the fishes can work mischief at their will. These Abraiaman know
also how to charm beasts and birds and every living thing. When the men
have got into the small boats they jump into the water and dive to the
bottom, which may be at a depth of from 4 to 12 fathoms, and there they
remain as long as they are able. And there they find the shells that
contain the pearls, and those they put into a net bag tied round the
waist, and mount up to the surface with them, and then dive anew. When
they can't hold their breath any longer they come up again, and after a
little down they go once more, and so they go on all day. These shells
are in fashion like oysters or sea-hoods. And in these shells are found
pearls, great and small, of every kind, sticking in the flesh of the
shell-fish. In this manner pearls are fished in great quantities, for
thence in fact come the pearls which are spread all over the world. And
I can tell you the King of that State hath a very great receipt and
treasure from his dues upon those pearls.1
That quaint old missionary bishop, Friar Jordanus, in his "Mira-bilia Descripta, or the Wonders of the East" (circa 1330),
reports that "more than 8000 boats" were sometimes employed for three
months continually in these fisheries, which were then prosecuted under
the
i"The Book of Ser Marco Polo," London, 1871, Vol. II, pp. 267, 268.
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