THE PANAMA PEARL FISHERIES
The bordring Hands, seated here in ken,
Whose Shores are sprinkled with rich Orient Pearle,
More bright of hew than were the Margarets
That Caesar found in wealthy Albion.
Robert Greene, Orlando Furioso (1594).
Erom the
point of view of the Spaniards of his day, the greatest result of
Balboa's immortal journey in 1513 across the Isthmus of Panama to the
broad waters of the Pacific, was the discovery of the pearl resources
of the Gulf of St. Michael, now known as the Gulf of Panama. Probably
the best description of this is given by Lopez de Gomara in his
"Historia general de las Indias," published in 1554, from which we
translate the following account.
After
Balboa had reached the Pacific in 1513, he proceeded a snort distance
along the coast until he met with an Indian chief by the name of
Tomaco. Being questioned about the gold and pearls which some of riis
people wore, Tomaco sent for some gold and 240 large pearls and a great
number of small ones—a rich present, which filled the Spaniards with
pleasure. Seeing the Spaniards so delighted, Tomaco ordered some of
his men to go and fish for pearls. These went and in a few days
obtained 64 ounces, which also he gave them. The Spaniards were
surprised to see such pearls, and that their owners did not value them
; they not only gave them away, but their paddles were decorated
therewith, for the principal income and wealth of these chiefs was the
pearl fishery. Tomaco told Balboa that these riches were nothing in
comparison with those of Tararequi, which had pearls larger than a
man's eye, taken from oysters the size of sombreros. The Spaniards
wished to go there at once, but fearing another tempest, left it for
their return. They dismissed Tomaco and rested in the country of
Chiape, who, at the request of Balboa, sent thirty of his men to fish.
These did it in the presence of seven Spaniards, who looked on and saw
them take six loads of small shells. As it was not the season for that
fishery, they did not go into very deep water where the shells were.
Not only did they not fish in September and the following months, but
they did not even travel by
