THE PEARL ISLANDS, 115 



At the Pearl Islands, near the Isthmus of Panama, the 

 divers use a very simple method of obtaining the oysters. 

 They traverse the bay in canoes that hold eight men, all of 

 whom dive in the water to a depth of from fifty to sixty feet, 

 where they remain sometimes nearly two minutes, during 

 which they collect all the oysters they can in their hands, 

 and rise to deposit them in the canoes, repeating the oper- 

 ation for several hours. 



In Sweden the oysters are taken with a pair of long tongs. 

 The fishermen are in small boats, painted white on the bot- 

 tom, which reflects to a great depth, and enables them to 

 see the oysters and seize them. 



The most beautiful and costly pearls are obtained from 

 the East, and are called " Oriental ; " the color of those found 

 in Ceylon is generally a bluish silvery white, but they are 

 met with of several other hues. Those from the Persian 

 Gulf are of great purity and richness. The preparation of 

 the pearls for market occupies a considerable number of 

 the inhabitants of Ceylon. After being thoroughly cleaned, 

 they are rounded and polished with a powder made of the 

 pearls themselves, and arranged into classes according to 

 their various sizes and quality. They are then drilled and 

 strung together, the largest being generally sent to India, 

 where they are highly prized, while the smaller ones are 

 forwarded to Europe. The operation of drilling is a very 

 delicate one, and the black people are very expert in it. It 

 is done with a wooden machine in the form of an inverted 

 cone, in the upper flat surface of which are pits to receive 

 the pearls. The holes are made by spindles of various 

 sizes, which revolve in a wooden head by the action of a 

 bow-handle, to which they arc attached. During the oper- 

 ation (which is done by one hand, while the other presses 

 on the machine), the pearls are moistened occasionally, and 

 the whole is done with astonishing rapidity. 



As to how the pearl is formed within the oyster-shell, 



