ABKRrONWV. 145 



employment. This shell is live inches and a half 

 long, and two and a half broad. Tlie other vari- 

 ety, the crageu las, is found in abundance on the 

 bar at the moutli of the river, and great quantities 

 of the muscles are daily gathered by numbers of 

 industrious persons. At ebb tide, the fishers, 

 men, women, and children, may be observed bu- 

 sily collecting the muscles, until they are driven 

 away by the flood. They then carry the contents 

 of their sacks and baskets to Cevtivro, the north- 

 ern extremity of the marsh, where the muscles are 

 boiled; for this operation there are large crochan- 

 au, or iron pots, placed in slight huts ; or rather 

 pits, as they are almost liuried in a vast heap of 

 shells. The fish are picked out, and put into a 

 tub, and stamped with the feet until they are re- 

 duced to a pulp ; when, water being poured in, 

 the animal matter floats, which is called solach, 

 and is used as food for ducks, while the sand, 

 particles of stone, and the pearls, settle in the bot- 

 tom. After numerous washings, tlie sediment is 

 carefully collected and dried ; and the pearls, 

 even tlie most minute, are separated with a feather 

 on a large wooden platter. The pearls are tlien 

 taken to the agent, who pays for them so much 

 an ounce; the price varies from one shilling and 



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