BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES Flsil COMMISSION. 293 



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great pintadine are more beautiful, and the color more transparent, 

 than those of its congener. 



The amount Of the trade from Tahiti in pearls cannot be stated with 

 accuracy, as there is much clandestine traffic (approximately 300,000 

 francs), England, Germany, and the United States being the chiel 

 markets for the fine pearls. The great pintadine is found in greal abun- 

 dance in theTuainotu and Gambier Islands. The situation there is very 

 favorable for them; in the clear and limpid waters of the Lagoons they 

 have full freedom for development, and are undisturbed by storms. 

 Mother-of-pearl is found in almost every one of the eighty islands which 

 form the archipelagoes Tuamotu and Gambier. These belong to France. 

 having been annexed at the same time as Tahiti and Moorea, and have 

 a population of about 5,000 people, all belonging to the Maori race. 

 Brandery gives an interesting description of these little-known islands 

 and people. The latter appear to hover always on the brink of starva 

 tion, as the islands, which are composed mainly of coral sand, produce 

 hardly anything of a vegetable nature. While the neighboring Society 

 Islanders have everything without labor and in abundance, the unfor- 

 tunate inhabitant of Tuamotu is forced to support existence with cocoa- 

 nuts, almost the only fruit-trees which will grow on the sandy beach, 

 with fish and shell-fish which are poisonous for several months of the 

 year, and often they have to kill their dogs for want of other animal 

 food. There are no birds, except the usual sea-birds ; no quadrupeds, 

 except those brought by man ; no food resources necessary to Euro- 

 pean life, except what is brought by ships. Although the people are 

 gentle and hospitable, they practice cannibalism. It is pitiless hunger 

 alone which has driven them into this -horrible custom. 



These people are the chief pearl-divers of the Pacific; indeed it is 

 their only industry, and women and even children take part in it. 

 There is at Anaa, says the writer, a woman who will go down 2."» 

 fathoms, and remain under water for three minutes. Nor was she an 

 exception. The dangers of the work are great, for the depths of the 

 lagoons are infested by sharks, against which the divers, being ana 

 ble to escape, are forced to wage battle, in which life is the stake. No 

 year passes without some disaster from sharks, and when one happen- 

 all the divers are seized with terror, and the fishing is stopped for a time. 

 But gradually the imperious wants of life drive them back to the sea 

 again, for mother-of-pearl is the current coin of Tuamotu. With it the 

 native buys the rags which cover him, the little bread and flour which 

 complete his food, and alcohol, "that fatal present of civilization." for 

 which he exhibits a pronounced passion. 



Some twenty-five or thirty years ago the trade in mother-of-pearl 

 ii. the Tuamotu archipelago was very profitable for those engaged 

 in it. For' a valueless piece of cloth, a few handfuls of Hour, or 

 some rum. the traders got half a ton of mother-of-pearl, worth 1, 000 

 or 2,000 francs, or even fine pearls of which the natives did not 



