XV, 



Here the reader may learn something about the 

 Pearls occasionally found in certain streams in 

 England and Wales, Scotland and Ireland, various 

 parts of Europe, the United States, Canada and China. 



Those exceptional Pearls which possess a colour 

 sufficiently marked to render them attractive, are 

 next described, and it is hoped that my own 

 experience in connexion with black and pink Pearls, 

 may be of some interest. The book would have 

 been incomplete without a notice of those famous 

 Pearls which have figured in history. A chapter is con- 

 sequently devoted to this subject, and another to that 

 remarkable cluster of Australian Pearls, known as 

 "The Southern Cross," which attracted so much 

 attention at the Colonial and Indian Exhibition. 



It only remains to tender my thanks to those 

 who have been good enough to assist me in the 

 preparation of this work. To the Earl of Crawford 

 and Balcarres, I am indebted for a description of 

 the constellation of the Southern Cross ; and to 

 Mr. F. W. Rudler and Dr. MacLarty for much valu- 

 able assistance on various scientific matters. Above 

 all, however, I desire to thank Mr. T. H, Haynes, 

 a gentleman who, in connexion with my Pearling 

 operations, has been through the Sooloo Archipelago, 

 and neighbouring islands, and along the coast of 

 I^ew Guinea and Northern and Western Australia. 



