UNIONID^ AND MYTILIDiE. 91 



" When the tide is out they (the natives) go in several boats 

 to the bar at the mouth of the river, with their sacks, and 

 gather as many shells as they can before the return of the 

 tide ; the mussels are then put into a large kettle over a fire 

 to be opened, and the fish taken out singly from the shells 

 with the fingers, and put into a tub, into which one of the 

 fishers goes barefooted, and stamps upon them until they 

 are reduced to a sort of pulp ; they next pour in water to 

 separate the fishy substance, which they call solach, from 

 the more heavy parts, consisting of sand, small pebbles, 

 and the pearls, which settle at the bottom. After numerous 

 washings, until the fishy part is entirely removed, the sedi- 

 ment, if I may so term it, is put out to dry, and each pearl 

 separated on a large wooden platter, one at a time, with a 

 feather; and when a sufficient quantity is obtained, they 

 are taken to the overseer, who pays the fisher so much an 

 ounce for them. The price varies from 1*. Qd. to 4<s. There 

 are a number of persons who live by this alone, and where 

 there is a small family to gather the shells and pick out the 

 fish, it is preferable to any other kind of daily labour." 

 About the destiny or use of these pearls there is some mys- 

 tery, and the same writer says, "There have been some curi- 

 ous and fanciful surmises which may not be thought worth 



