de
Soto, which Garcilaso de la Vega accompanied, in the early part of the
sixteenth century, the cacique of the province of Ichiaha not only
presented the general with a very long string of fine Pearls, but
offered him a selection from the stores which had accumulated at the
shrine of his ancestors in the temple of Ichiaha. He also ordered some
Indians to fish for the oysters, and afterwards, opening them in the
presence of De Soto, extracted a number of fine Pearls, which however
were much impaired in lustre by the crude method which he employed of
opening the shells in hot ashes.
Here
it may be interesting to quote some remarks from an old work by Mons.
P. de Rosnel, respecting the large quantities of Pearls which had been
brought to Europe from South America during the latter part of the
sixteenth century. Pierre de Rosnel was jeweller to Louis XIV. and in
1672, published a work entitled " Le Mercure Indien, ou le Tresor des
Indes," in which he gives this information :—
"
On remarque que depuis que les Espagnols ont esté maistres du Pérou, il
s'est apporté dans l'Europe une telle quantité de Perles, et si fort
surprenante, qu'en l'année mil cinq cens quatre-vingt sept, on fit
compte sur les mémoires des Indes, qu'il avoit pour le Roy d'Espagne
dix huit à vingt
