252 Pearls. 



been procured from a species of Pearl-mussel in- 

 habiting the rivers of Florida. 



Crossing from the United States into Canada, 

 we find ourselves in a country which has yielded 

 fresh-water Pearls of considerable size and beauty. It 

 appears that the Pearls occur more or less abundantly 

 in most of the small streams in the Province of 

 Quebec, especially in the country to the north of the 

 City of Quebec, and also in the districts bordering 

 on the lower part of the river St. Lawrence. Some 

 fine Canadian Pearls, varying in weight from three 

 to seventy grains, were exhibited at the Colonial 

 Exhibiton of 1886, by a jeweller, of Quebec. The 

 exhibitor tells us that being desirous of making 

 himself practically acquainted with the occurrence of 

 the Pearls, he took a trip through the chief Pearl- 

 producing districts, in the month of August, 1885. 

 This trip occupied three weeks, of which time seven- 

 teen days were passed in kneeling and paddling in 

 a bark canoe, and in portaging through a primitive 

 region of very wild character. The streams which 

 are richest in Pearl-mussels are but little known, 

 except to the Indians and backwoodsmen, who take 

 care to keep the localities as secret as possible. 

 Mr. Seifert's exploring party ''prosecuted the toilsome 

 task of Pearl-fishing with the greatest perseverance, 

 and after opening several thousand mussels, succeeded 



