98 Shells as evidence of the Migrations. 
fish for the pearls contained in the mussels of the local 
rivers. 
About the 5th century B.c., Erythrean merchantmen 
began to use Hang-tchou Bay as a calling station, in 
addition to their earlier and more northern ports in the 
Gulf of Kiao-tchou, bringing with them large pearls from 
the Persian Gulf, and mother-of-pearl from the Indian 
‘Ocean. This latter commodity is stated to have been 
used to adorn the tomb of Duke Yii of Tsin, who died in 
419 B.C. That the real pearl was a novelty at this period 
is gathered from the expressions used by writers of the 
4th century Meh-ti, Lieh-tze, Tsou-hien, and others. In 
some cases it is associated with the Ye-Kwang—the stone 
which shines at night, otherwise yakut ruby of Bardak- 
shan. “And the name of Ming-gwet, a transfer and folk- 
etymology of the western word for it, shows moreover its 
western origin, most probably from the pearl fisheries of 
the Persian Gulf, not of Ceylon.”™ 
From this time onwards pearls were among the staple 
articles imported into China by these same traders, though 
the latter had several times to change their stations 
and retreat southward owing to civil wars and the advance 
in power of the Chinese. They used Kwei-ki, near the 
present Ning-po, as their emporium until the Han Empire 
extended its sway there in 201 B.C., when they made Tung- 
yeh (present Fuhtchow of Fu-kiang) their station for a 
time, importing big pearls from the Persian Gulf. These 
were transhipped from there to Kwei-ki, which was a 
market for them. In 187—140 B.c.,one Tchu-tchung was 
trading in pearls at Kwei-ki, some of the gems being of 
remarkably large size. 
*® Lacouperie, of. af., pp. 180-1 and 365; A/ing-gwet, mod. A/ing- 
yuch, shining moon.—Cf. Sanskrit, marakata; Greek, maragdes ; Latin, 
margarifa; Persian marvid; etc., (fide Lacouperie). 
