seventeenth century they were very productive, nothing since then has anything like approached these figures.
The West Indian Pearls are yielded by Melea-grina squamulosa, Lam.,
the shells of which pass in commerce under the names of "blue-edged" or
" black-lipped" shells, and it is these shells that furnish most of the
so-called " smoked Pearl." One method of obtaining the shells in the
Caribbean waters, is by dragging over the rocky sea-bottom a rake or
wooden frame set with curved spikes, whereby the shells are torn from
their bed.
In
1856, there were imported into England Pearls valued at about £25,000
from the fishery in the Caribbean seas. But our connection with this
fishery has lately been anything but satisfactory : indeed we have
known a considerable sum of money lost upon trying to revive the
industry in this area. The author hoped to obtain further authentic
information with regard to the present condition of the American
Pearl-fisheries, and the publication of the present work has been
delayed on that account ; but as the expected information has not yet
arrived, the work cannot be kept back any longer, and any additional
matter must therefore be reserved for insertion in a future edition.
