224 Pearls. 



de Soto, which Garcilaso de la Vega accompanied, 

 in the early part of the sixteenth century, the 

 cacique of the province of Ichiaha not only presented 

 the general with a very long string of fine Pearls, but 

 offered him a selection from the stores which had 

 accumulated at the shrine of his ancestors in the 

 temple of Ichiaha. He also ordered some Indians 

 to fish for the oysters, and afterwards, opening them 

 in the presence of De Soto, extracted a number of 

 fine Pearls, which however were much impaired in 

 lustre by the crude method which he employed of 

 opening the shells in hot ashes. 



" Here it may be interesting to quote some remarks 

 from an old work by Mons. P. de Rosnel, respecting 

 the large quantities of Pearls which had been brought 

 to Europe from South America during the latter part 

 of the sixteenth century. Pierre de Rosnel was jeweller 

 to Louis XIV. and in 1672, published a work entitled 

 " Le Mercure Indien, ou le Tresor des Indes," in 

 which he gives this information : — 



" On remarque que depuis que les Espagnols 

 ont este maistres du Perou, il s'est apporte dans 

 I'Europe une telle quantite de Perles, et si fort 

 surprenante, qu'en I'annee mil cinq cens quatre-vingt 

 sept, on fit compte sur les memoires des Indes, 

 qu'il avoit pour le Roy d'Espagne dix huit a vingt 



