PEARLS.— MOTHER OF PEARL. 63 



lusks in safe and convenient coves where he 

 may gather the pearls for several years in suc- 

 cession from the same shells. 



" The Chinese, understanding the ability of 

 these pearl mussels to cover hard substances 

 with their fluid secretion, which soon hardens 

 into mother-of-pearl, or nacre, bring their wiles 

 to bear upon a species of fresh-water mussel — 

 the Unio Hyria — compelling it to manufacture 

 pearls to their order. 



" They keep the little TInio in tanks, and 

 place small shot, bits of shell, and other sub- 

 stances between the mantle and the valve ; 

 these pai'ticles are soon converted into pearls 

 by the industrious little gem maker. 



"They carry their 'ways that are dark' 

 still further, and by means of the work of 

 the innocent little TJnio they impose upon 

 the credulous and superstitious minds of their 

 people. They insert a metal image of their 

 god Buddha within the valves of the mussel, 

 and in process of time it becomes coated "with 

 the nacreous secretion and — ^presto ! — the im- 

 age of Buddha in pearl and adhering to the 

 shell of a mussel ! The image commands a 

 good price and promises great advantage to the 

 ignorant dupe who sees in it an unanswerable 

 affirmation of Buddha's divinity. 



