Mother-of -Pearl and its Uses. 2>77 



1. Those from the Arm Islands, which are the most 

 valuable. This group, situate at the south-west of New 

 Guinea, extends about lOO miles from north to south. 

 From 130 to 150 tons are obtained from this locality 

 annually. Pearl oysters are abundant on parts of the 

 coasts of New Caledonia, but generally at too great depths 

 to be obtainable. There are three sorts, which are classi- 

 fied in commerce as bastard, black-bordered, and silvery 

 white, the last being the most esteemed. 



2. The fishery next in importance is that from Sulu to 

 New Guinea, etc. All the extensive range from Cape 

 Unsing, passing by the Tawi-Tawi Islands and Sulu as far 

 as Baselan, is one vast continuous bed of pearl oysters. The 

 fishing is partly carried on by the Malays and partly by 

 the Chinese, and from 2500 to 3000 cwts. are sold there 

 annually. The Sulu pearls have from time immemorial 

 been celebrated and praised as the most valuable of any in 

 the world. The shells are distinguished by the yellow 

 colour of the border and back, which renders them unfit for 

 ornamental purposes, but they are largely used by the 

 Sheffield cutlers. Of the Sulu Archipelago we know com- 

 paratively little. The people of Sulu and the Lanuns of 

 Mindanao are the most daring habitual pirates of the 

 Malayan seas. The principal articles of commerce of the 

 Sulu and neighbouring islands are the produce of the 

 fisheries, namely, pearls, mother-of-pearl shells, tortoise- 

 shell, etc. 



3. The so-called Bombay shells of commerce come in 

 reality from the Persian Gulf fishery, where the search for 

 pearls is vigorously and successfully prosecuted. Most 

 of the shells from this quarter are small, and generally 

 dark about the edges. They, however, realize more than 

 the Panama and Tahiti shelly. The imports fsnge froii} 



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