THE PEARL OYSTER. 945 



river, from Kruman to Frauenberg, pearls are found, some- 

 times of great beauty, and difficult to be distinguished from 

 the oriental pearl. The latter fishery is the property of the 

 owner of the land. 



The most curious finding of pearls that I ever read of 

 came under my notice in Lloyd's Newspaper, June i, 1890, 

 of which the following is a copy : 



" PEARLS IN A CRAB. A few days since a strange dis- 

 covery was made by Mr. C. T. Gravers, of 12, High-street, 

 Poplar. While eating a crab, purchased at a local fish- 

 monger's, he came across a hard substance, which, on 

 examination, proved to be two pearls, of decent size, one 

 round and the other oval-shaped." 



Amongst all the ideas which have been entertained, 

 both in ancient and more modern times, with regard to 

 pearls grotesque and fanciful though many of them be 

 none appears more romantic than that of their reputed 

 powers of re-production. 



In 1878, the subject of "Breeding Pearls" occupied 

 the attention of the Royal Asiatic Society at Singapore, 

 and was introduced to their notice in a paper read by Dr. 

 N. B. Dennys. 



In the Malay Archipelago, and especially on the coast 

 of Borneo, the natives allege that " Breeding Pearls" exist, 

 that is to say, there are pearls which possess the power of 

 reproduction, or rather germination. It is asserted that if 

 a few of these pearls be placed in a small box, with some 

 grains of rice and a little cotton wool, and then sealed up, 

 on opening it a few months afterwards one or more addi- 

 tional pearls are found within, and the original ones none 

 the worse ; but the grains of rice have their ends appa- 

 rently nibbled off. Many native women claim to possess 

 these pearls, and set great store by them, though they 



