THE PEARL FISHERIES OF MEXICO
Then, too, the pearl from out its shell,
Unsightly in the sunless sea, (As 't were a spirit, forced to dwell
In form unlovely) was set free, And round the neck of woman threw
A light it lent and borrowed too.
Thomas Moore, The Loves of the Angels.
Pearl-bearing oysters
are found at various places on the Pacific coast of Mexico, and
especially along the coast of Lower California, where extensive
fisheries are prosecuted. The pearls are noted for the great variety of
colors which they display. A large percentage are black, others are
white, brown, peacock green, etc. Generally they are small and of
irregular form, yet sometimes very large ones are secured, weighing
100, 200, and even 300 grains.
European
knowledge of the pearl resources of Mexico dates from the conquest of
that country by Hernando Cortés about 1522. The diary of his
lieutenant, Fortuno Ximines, tells of finding native chiefs living in
primitive huts along the sea-shore, with quantities of beautiful pearls
lying carelessly around. From a tribe near the present site of
Hermosillo, in the State of Sonora, Cortés secured great quantities of
the gems. It appeared that the fishery had been in existence for
centuries. The location of the pearl reefs was prominently noted on
Cortés' map of this coast, made in 1535, a copy of which was procured
by the Rev. Edward E. Hale when in Spain in 1883.
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