I] THE HISTORY OF PEARLS 9 



a fish like an oyster is caught, from the flesh of which 

 men pick out white holies, called by them 'pearls.' " 



In Britain the most important pearl fishing was 

 carried on in Scotland. As early as 1355 a.d. Scotch 

 pearls are referred to in a Statute of the goldsmiths 

 of Paris. In the reign of Charles II the pearl trade 

 was sufficiently important to attract the attention of 

 Parliament, and for many years a large number of 

 pearls were "cultivated." 



In 1705, we find a pearl merchant named John 

 Spruel saying that he had been dealing in pearls for 

 forty years but could never sell Scotch pearls in 

 Scotland, he could only sell oriental specimens. The 

 latter were always preferred although he could show 

 much harder and better Scotch specimens. (This 

 appears in an account current betwixt Scotland and 

 England, Edinburgh 1705.) In 1860 the Scottish 

 pearl fisliery was revived by a German named Moritz 

 Unger. He visited Scotland and bought pearls from 

 the peasants. This resulted in a vigorous search for 

 the gems, and in 1865 we find that the total value 

 of the pearls sold was about £1,200. This price, 

 however, was not maintained, as the rivers were 

 over-fished. Now, pearls are only found irregularly 

 in the Spey, Tay, and South Esk, and to a less extent 

 in the Doon, Dee, Don and Forth. 



Pearls have also been found in Wales, chiefly 

 in molluscs taken from the river Conway. One 



