stones.
In this fishery many persons are drowned, either by remaining too long
at the bottom, or because they become entwined or entangled in the
cord, or such carnivorous fish as the shark devour them. This is the
manner of fishing pearls in all the Indies, and many fishermen die from
the dangers aforesaid, and from the excessive and constant labor, the
little food, and the maltreatment they have. The emperor was led to
enact a law among those whom Blasco Nunez Vela brought, which imposed
the penalty of death upon him who should forcibly compel any free
Indian to fish for pearls. He thought more of the lives of the
men than of his interest in pearls, though they were of great value.
The law was worthy of such a prince and of perpetual memory.1
Gonzalo
de Oviedo referred to the pearl resources of Panama in his "Historia
natural de las Indias," Toledo, 1526, mentioned in the chapter on
pearl fisheries of Venezuela. After describing the resources of Cubagua
and Cumana on the Venezuelan coast, he states, according to Eden's
quaint translation :
Lykewise pearles are founde and gathered in the South sea cauled mare del sur. And the pearles of this sea [the Caribbean coast] are verye bygge. Yet not so bigge as they of the Ilande of pearles cauled de las perlas, or Mar-garitea, whiche the Indians caule Terarequi, lying
in the gulfe of saincte Michael, where greater pearles are founde and
of greater price then in any other coaste of the Northe sea, in Cumana, or
any other porte. I speake this as a trewe testimonie of syght, havyng
byn longe in that South sea, and mak-ynge curious inquisition to bee
certenly informed of all that perteyneth to the fysshynge of perles.
From this Ilande of Tararequi, there was brought a pearle of the
fasshyon of a peare, wayinge xxxi carattes, which Petrus Arias had
amonge a thousande and soo many poundes weight of other pearles which
hee had when capitayne Gaspar Morales (before Petrus Arias) passed to
the saide Ilande in the yeare 1515, which pearle was of great prise.
From the saide Ilande also, came a great and verye rounde pearle,
whiche I brought owte of the sea. This was as bygge as a smaule pellet
of a stone bowe, and of the weight of xxvi carattes. I boughte it in
the citie of Panama in the sea of Sur : and paide for it syxe hundredth
and fyftie tymes the weyght therof of good gold,2 and had it thre yeares in my custodie
: and after my returne into Spaine, soulde it to the erle of Nansao,
Marquisse of Zenete, great chamberleyne to youre maiestie, who gave it
to the Marquesse his wyfe, the ladye Mentia of Mendozza. I thyncke
verely that this pearle was the greatest, fayrest, and roundest that
hath byn seene in those partes. For youre maiestie owght to understande
that in the coaste of the sea of Sur, there are founde a hundredth
great pearles rounde after the fasshyon of peare, to one that is
perfectly rounde and greate. This Hand of Terarequi which'the
Christians caule the Ilande of pearles, and other caule it the Ilande
of floures, is founde in the
'Gomara, "Historia general de las Indias," * 111^2 ounces of gold; present value about
1554. PP· 268, 269 b.
$2300.
