Ancient Ideas on their Origin and Virtues. 57 



look for the true home of the many other fanciful 

 ideas which have been entertained regarding the 

 origin of Pearls. Some of these have reached the 

 western world almost unchanged ; others have 

 received, in their march, such local colourings, ad- 

 ditions, or alterations, as were prompted by the 

 philosophy of the countries through which they 

 passed. So extensive is the literature, and so many 

 and diverse are the superstitions recorded, that one 

 would think the ingenuity of even the Oriental 

 imagination must have been stretched to its utmost 

 limit in dealing with this subject. Not to weary 

 the patience of the reader with a mass of details, 

 we will content ourselves with merel\- glancing, at 

 a few of the principal superstitions. Our informa- 

 tion on this head has been derived chiefly from a 

 work entitled ''Mani-Mala,'' that is "Chain of Gems,'" 

 written by a native Indian Prince. 



'^ It is generally believed," says this writer, 

 *' that the Pearl originates in clouds, elephants, 

 boars, conch-shells, fish, serpents, oysters, and bam- 

 boos, — of which oysters bear the largest share in 

 their production." To treat them in the order here 

 mentioned, we will first deal with the reputed for- 

 mation of Pearls by Clouds. 



" The Pearl which originates in the water-drop 

 from the clouds, is a gem of the first rank ^nd ^ 



