420 The Commercial Products of the Sea. 



In the lower part of the Bay of Mulege, in the Gulf of 

 California, near Los Coyetes, pearls have been found of rare 

 value and astonishing brilliancy. It was in this bay that 

 Jeremiah Evans, an Englishman, towards the close of the 

 last century, obtained those magnificent pearls, of which 

 the collar was made for the Queen of Spain, and which 

 evoked so much admiration at St. Cloud and Windsor 

 Castle. In the time of the Jesuit missionaries, the pearl 

 fishery was actively carried on, and produced great wealth 

 to the people of Lower California. 



A very choice large pearl, of a perfect pear shape, and 

 of the finest water, was found a few years ago in the Bay 

 of Panama. 



The average annual value of the pearls collected from 

 the Panama fishery has been about ;^ 2 5,000. It is, how- 

 ever, difficult to arrive with any degree of accuracy at the 

 total value, as the trade is conducted with great secrecy, 

 in consequence of jealousies, not only amongst the pearl- 

 merchants, but even between the divers, who offer their 

 property to the dealer with all mystery and every reserva- 

 tion. From the official statement of exports, pearls to the 

 value of ;^ 28, 1 00 were shipped from Panama in 1865, and 

 ;^23,iio in 1867. In 1869 we imported pearls of the 

 value of about ;^40,ooo from New Granada, the AtlaPitic 

 ports of America, and St. Thomas. The pearl fisheries 

 on the Panama side, having been exhausted, are now sus- 

 pended. 



It was from the island of Margarita, off the Colombian 

 coast, that Philip II. of Spain obtained, in 1579, a mag- 

 nificent pear-shaped pearl, weighing 250 carats, which was 

 valued at ;£■ 30,000. 



In the Gulf of Mexico, when Columbus first discovered 

 some of the islands, he found Indians fishing for pearl 



