Pearls Coral Divers. 33 



59. Pearls are obtained by divers. Divers do 

 not always go down head first. Sometimes one 

 is lowered by a rope, on the end of which a stone 

 is fastened to help him to sink. With his feet 

 upon this stone and one hand holding on to 

 the rope, the diver collects as many of the pearl- 

 oysters as he can in a minute or half-minute, 

 when he must ascend to breathe. 



60. Pearls are beautiful and expensive, especially those 

 as large as peas and larger. Philip II., King of Spain, 

 had one which was valued at $75,000, and it is said that 

 those in the ear-drops of Cleopatra, a celebrated Queen of 

 Egypt, were valued at $400,000. 



61. Among the most famous pearl fisheries are those 

 near Ceylon and the east coast of Hindoostan. Pearls 

 have been found also near Japan, Java, Sumatra, and 

 in the Persian Gulf and the Bay of Panama. 



Mother-of-pearl is the inside lining of the shells. It is 

 extensively used for making buttons, knife-handles, and for 

 ornamenting boxes, furniture, etc. 



62. Coral is also obtained by divers in vari- 

 ous parts of the Mediterranean Sea. The 

 finest is of a rose-pink color, and is found chief- 

 ly near the coasts of Italy. 



63. A flourishing business has long been carried on in 

 the manufacture and sale of coral ornaments in the cities 

 of Naples, Leghorn', and Gen'oa. 



These divers for pearls and corals, when in the water, 

 often see curious and frightful creatures, some of which 

 are very dangerous (see p. 91). 



