Black Pearls. 267
tinctorial
power, and if shed near a Pearl-oyster, might determine the colour of
the carbonate of lime, which the mollusc was secreting. The organic
pigment would be decomposed by heat, and this would agree with the
behaviour of the black Pearl when exposed to a high temperature.
When
the palace at Alexandria was burnt down during the bombardment a few
years ago, many of the Khedive's jewels were utterly destroyed. When
the English had landed, and the fires were extinguished, the débris was
examined, and among the rubbish were found two black Pearls, so burnt
as to be scarcely recognizable. One of these was a round black Pearl,
worth when perfect, about _£2000; the other being a smaller one of the
value of about £200. The author bought these two burnt Pearls as a
curiosity, from a Paris merchant for a sovereign ! This shews how
readily valuable Pearls are lost or rendered useless by a
conflagration, and may in some measure account for the disappearance of
many historical Pearls. It is known for instance, that vast numbers of
Pearls once existed in the possession of the great families of Italy,
and in the treasures of the Church, of which no trace now remains. Many
ancient Eastern cities, which, in the vicissitudes of time, have been
destroyed by fire and revolution, must have contained, when in a
flourishing condition,
