406 A CONTROVERSY. [CHAP. ix. 



the vicinity for their own special use, besides those that found 

 their way into the markets. During the continuance of the 

 fishery the general cry was that so much exposure of the body 

 was likely to introduce a variety of diseases such as had not 

 hitherto been known in the place ; but no such effects made 

 their appearance. And though there were exceptional cases 

 where the extra cash (for it was like found money) obtained 

 for the pearls was worse than wasted, there are many who 

 can point to a new suit of clothes or a good' lever watch, 

 when asked what they had to show as the reward of the many 

 cold drenchings they got while dredging the Boon for pearls." 

 In 1863 a controversy arose as to which rivers produced 

 the best pearls, and it was then argued that only in those 

 streams issuing from lochs was a continuous supply of the 

 pearl-mussel to be found, and although there are a few pearl 

 streams which take their rise in some little spring and 

 gather volume as they flow, yet their number, as far as is 

 known, is only four viz. the Ugie, Ythan, Don, and Isla and 

 even these are now (1865) very nearly exhausted. Many of 

 the finest gems have been found in the Boon, Teith, Forth, 

 Earn, Tay, Lyon, Spey, Conan, etc. etc. Until this summer 

 (1865) it has been supposed that the lochs are the natural re- 

 servoirs of the pearl-mussel, and when in 1860-1 a portion of 

 Loch Yenachar was laid dry for the purpose of building a 

 sluice for the Glasgow Waterworks, innumerable shells were 

 found, from which the labourers gathered a great many very 

 fine pearls. The above theory was thereby so much confirmed 

 that Mr. linger was induced in 1864 to try further experi- 

 ments on Lochs Venachar, Achray, and Lubnaig, by means 

 of dredging, which, considering the rough mode of procedure, 

 was so successful, especially on a place called Lynn Achore, 

 at the east end of Loch Venachar, that he at last considered 

 himself justified in incurring considerable expense. Ac- 

 cordingly he procured this summer (1865) one of Siebes' 



