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Pink Pearls. 275
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found,
and placed the fish in an enclosed place in the water. At the
expiration of a month or more, the fish were again removed, and, of
course, Pearls found in them, several of which were sold to
inexperienced persons before the fraud was detected. It was found out,
however, and the perpetrator received prompt and deserved punishment."
Mr.
Wood, in his "Zoography" relates that he saw a pink Pearl, which was
taken from the body of the animal of the great West Indian conch shell,
which is fished for the table off the Island of Bar-badoes. The Pearl
was discovered by chance, while the men were cleaning the fish. Its
weight was 24 grains, but it lacked perfection of shape. The same
author states that only four of these Pearls had been discovered in the
vast number of shell fish that are annually brought to market in that
part of the world, though he has reason to believe that this is in some
measure owing to the carelessness of the negroes, who clean their fish
without consideration, and have probably in their hurry returned many a
Pearl to the sea. Once there, sand, by continuous washing against the
Pearl, would soon reduce it to powder, the carbonate of lime of the
Pearl being not so hard as the sand.
Pink Pearls have one great drawback, namely, that ninety per cent, of them are irregular in shape,
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