Panama Pearl Fishery — Its Decline. 429 



figures now lie before me, and give better than anything else 

 a fair and complete estimate of its present activity, which, it 

 may be remarked en passant, has owed nothing to the 

 natives, but is entirely due to the energy of foreigners. 



No fewer than 64 powerful mail steamers, of the united 

 burthen of 96,000 tons, and representing a money value of at 

 least £4,000,000, ply, part on the Atlantic side (Southamp- 

 ton via St. Thomas, and New York to Aspinwall), part on the 

 Pacific side to the various harbours on the west coast of 

 America, and keep up regular communication between 

 Europe and that series of States, consisting of not less than 

 11,000,000 human beings. The value of the products and 

 merchandise annually passing to and fro across the Isthmus 

 amounts to about £15,000,000, while the amount of precious 

 metals is not very much less. 



The pearl-fishery in the Gulf of Panama has of late years 

 notably fallen off from its former importance. At present it 

 lags far behind that of the Persian Gulf, from which there 

 are annually about £300,000 worth brought up, whereas here, 

 notwithstanding the enormous extent of the pearl-oyster- 

 banks, the yearly take of pearls does not exceed £24,000. 

 Indeed the fishery is carried on less for its costly contents than 

 for the sake of the mother-of-pearl itself, of which some 

 800 or 900 tons are shipped annually. 



On 23rd June I went by rail from Panama to Aspinwall, 

 on the Atlantic side. Except on the days when the steamers 

 on either side bring their fortnightly quota of passengers. 



