260 DIMYARIA.—MYTILID A. 
‘The pearl-mussel is found in abundance in the 
river Conway, in North Wales, and is collected by 
many of the natives, who obtain their livelihood 
entirely by their industry in procuring the pearls. 
When the tide is out, they 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 fin- 
gers and put into a tub, into which one of the 
fishers goes barefoot 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, con- 
sisting of sand, small pebbles, and the pearls, 
which settle at the bottom. After numerous wash- 
ings, until the fishy part is entirely removed, the 
sediment, 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 eighteenpence to four shil- 
lings: 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 prefer- 
able to any other daily labour. The pearls are 
generally a dirty white, sometimes blue, but never, 
I believe, green or reddish. I cannot with accuracy 
say how many ounces are taken to the overseer 
each week, though I might say there are some 
scores. But what makes this fishery more singular, 
is the mystery which hangs over it. At present 
it is a perfect monopoly, and there is but the one 
