Figure 2 



Saboga. Typical small village on Pearl Islands. 



data "because they show the ports of registration of fishing "boats rather thaa the areas of 

 their operations. Pearl fishermen are not confined, however, to one particiiar locality. 

 This is es-oecially true for some of the diving boats capable of working at any place along 

 the coast of Central America. Sr. Pinel, one of the large pearl-shell dealers in Panama, 

 inforned me that his 12 boats frequently fished as far as the coast of Ecuador and the 

 Gulf of California. Total figures on production of Panama pearl oysters may include, 

 therefore, sone undetermined portion of the catch taken outside of the Panamanian waters. 



1 believe, hov/ever, that this quantity was small, because not many boats were capable of 

 making long voyages. 



Although the Panamanian Government collects license fees for each diving boat, 

 data on the number of boats engaged in pearl fishing and the number of fishermen employed 

 in this industry are not available. Revenues received by the Treasury from this source 

 are shovm together with the other items, in one lump sum. By inq.uiring among the v/holesale 

 •oearl-shell dealers in Panama City, I arrived at the conclusion that from 1920 to 1935 

 there were probably from Ho to 50 diving boats which operated on the Pacific coast of 

 Panaraa. Each boat carried a crew of 6 men (l diver, 1 assistant diver, and k deck liands) , 

 and v/as eq,uipt)ed with one hand pump and one scaphander. The boats were about 25-2S feet 

 lon^, had no engine, and v;ere equipped \iith. sails and oars (Pig. 3) • Scaphander divers 

 ustially worked at low tide at a depth from 6 to 12 fathoms. Occasionally, they descended 

 to 12 fathoms. 



The diver was paid by the number of oysters he brought, usually at the rate of 



2 -oesos (dollars)l/ per quintal (lOO lb.) of shells. Other men worked for wages. Each 

 diver v/as expected to obtain at least 200 lbs. of shells -oer day; smaller catches were con- 

 sidered unprofitable. Prom the diving boat, the oysters were taken to a mother ship, where 

 they v;ere o-oened under the v^atchful supervision of an officer of the company. All pearls 



3/ The former Spanish Ainerican peso was normally v/orth $0,965' 



