202 LAKES AND RIVERS. 



gill, a parish on the banks of the Tay, says: "About 

 twenty years ago there was a great demand for pearls, 

 and many were occupied in fishing for them." This 

 was about a hundred years ago. Afterwards the 

 demand for pearls became less, and the fishing 

 fell off. 



Miss Drummond, a lady of Perthshire, has or had 

 a necklace, the pearls in which were taken from the 

 Tay, and are of considerable value. This had been 

 in the family for several generations. " The size and 

 shape of these pearls are not to be equalled by any- 

 thing of the kind in Britain." 



The Rev. Mr. Robertson in his account of the 

 parish of Callander, in western Perthshire, says : 

 " In the Teath are found considerable quantities of 

 mussels, which some years ago afforded a great profit 

 to those who fished them by the pearls they con- 

 tained, which fetched high prices. Some of the 

 country-people made a hundred pounds a year by 

 that employment. This fishery was soon exhausted, 

 because only the old shells, which are crooked, in the 

 shape of a new moon, produce pearls of any value." 



Pearls have been found in the bed of the river 

 Devon, which rises in the Ochil hills. The Esk, in 

 Forfarshire, at one time had on its banks a fishery 

 for pearls which was productive. Some of these 

 were so valuable as to produce 4 at the first 

 market. The Rev. Mr. Jamieson, of Forfar, in his 

 account of the parish of Tannadice, says " one was 

 found nearly as large as the ball of a pocket pistol." 

 This fishery also was abandoned. 



The river Cluny, in Aberdeenshire, is stated by 



