Long
before America was discovered by Columbus, pearl-fishing had been
largely carried on by the inhabitants of the islands in the Gulf. When
the Spaniards arrived in the South Sea they were charmed to find the
dark-red natives decorated with strings of pearls. Montezuma was at all
times bedecked with these glimmering little globules, and in Florida
De Soto was shown the tombs of the chiefs profusely ornamented with
the same gems. The mortuary shields were in some instances closely
studded with thousands upon thousands of pearls; and many stories have
come down to us of weary soldiers flinging away bags of these gems
which they had in vain tried to exchange for food or water.
Pearls
vary very much in size, ranging from the seed-pearl no bigger than a
mustard grain, to the Pelegrina as large as a pigeon's egg; and they
vary also in shape. The most prized are the round pearls which besides
their extreme rarity are supposed to have an especially deli-
