THE PEARLS OF THE ISLANDS 355 



Drifting near them, we saw the modus operandi 

 plainly. The man by much practice could locate the 

 shell, and swimming down he held onto the rock with 

 one hand, while with the other he pried off the big 

 shell, perhaps two, as they are often found one upon 

 the other. Successful, he swam to the surface; in 

 short, he was for all practical purposes as much at 

 home in the water as a seal. When the little box was 

 filled the collectors swam over to the boat and emptied 

 it, crawled aboard and hovered about the fire with 

 pieces of sail-cloth or coats over their shoulders until 

 they got warm, when they again dropped overboard 

 to continue the work. On the forward deck was a 

 pile of shells which must have weighed half a ton; and 

 in another heap were the meats. The shells were to 

 be scraped, dried, and poKshed; the meat dried and 

 smoked, and sold to the canners and to the markets, 

 as it makes a delicious chowder. The bulk is dried 

 for export to China and India. The men evidently 

 did not wish to be watched, and only when we pre- 

 tended to fish did they go overboard again, diving 

 like otters and coming up with three or four shells. 

 Few if any shells were missed, as by a systematic 

 arrangement the divers moved down the coast in 

 lines, covering every rock or stone. While the law 

 regulates the size to be taken there was no one in sight 

 to measure them; so it is fair to suppose that every 

 shell possible was taken. 



At the town of Cabrillo, Santa Catalina, where there 

 is a good brisk wind on some summer days, the scene 

 changes. On the beach is a thickset, jolly-looking old 

 fellow who is in the business. He buys the big shells 

 of the Japanese or any one if he cannot get them him- 



