Book II. Travels in India. 145 



CHAP. XVII. 



Of the T earls, and the 'Places where they Fijh for them. 



IK the firft place, there is a Fifhery for Pearls in the Per/ian Gulf, round 

 •about the Ifland of Bakren. It belongs to the King of Per fa, and there is 

 a ftrong Fort in it, Garrifon'd with three hundred men. The Water which 

 the people drink in that Ifland, and all along the Coaft of Perfia, is brackifh 

 and ill-tafted, fo that only the Natives of the Country can drink it. FreHh wa- 

 ter cofts Strangers very dear ; for the people fetch it fometimes one League, 

 fometimes two Leagues from the Ifland, from the bottom of the Sea, being; 

 let down by a Rope , with a Bottle or two ty'd about their waftes , which 

 they fill, and ftop it well ; and then giving the Rope a twitch, are hall'd up 

 again by their Companions. 



Every one that fifties pays to the King of Perfia five AbaJJPs, whether he 

 get any thing or no. The Merchant alfo pays the King fome fmall matter 

 for every thoufand Oyfters. 



The fecond Fifhery for Pearls is right againft Bakren upon the Coaft of Ara- 

 bia the happy, near the City of Catifa, which together with all the Country 

 about it, is under the Jurifdidion of an Arabian Prince. The Pearls that are 

 fifh'd in thefe places are fold to the Indians , who are not fo nice as we 5 

 for they give a good price for all, as well the uneven as the round ones. Over 

 all Afia they chufe the yellow Water enclining to white ; for they fay thofe 

 Pearls that encline fomewhat to a Gold colour, are more brik , and never 

 change colour ; but that the white ones will change in thirty-years years time, 

 throughthe very heat of the weather and the fweat of the perfon that wears them, 

 fcandaloufly yellow. 



There is a wondrous Pearl in the pofieflbn of an Arabian Prince, that took 

 Mafiate from the Portugal;. He then call'd himfelf Imenhctt Prince of Maf- 

 cate'i being known before only by the name of Acsph Bcn-Ali Prince of No- 

 rennae. It is but a fmall Province, but it is the beft of all in the Happy Ara- 

 bia* Therein grow all things neceffary for the life of man ; particularly, de- 

 licate fruits, but more efpecially molt excellent Grapes, which would make 

 raoft incomparable Wine. This Prince has the rrtoft wonderful Pearl m the 

 world, not Co much for its bignefs, for it weighs not above twelve Carats and 

 one fixteenth, nor for its perfed roundnefs, but becaufe it is fo clear andfo 

 tranfparent that you may almoft fee through it. The Great Mogul offer'd him 

 by a Banian forty thoufand Crowns for his Pearl, but he would not accept 

 it By which you fee, that it is more profitable to carry Jewels that are rare 

 out of Europe into A fa, than to bring them out of Afa into Europe j unlefs 

 it be to japan or China, where Jewels are little efteem'd. 



There is another Fifhery for Pearls in the Sea that beats againft the Walls 

 of a creat Town call'd Manor, in the Ifland of Ceylan. For their roundnefs and 

 their Water, they are the faireft that are found in any other Fifhery , but they 

 rarely weigh above, three or four Carats. 



There afe excellent Pearls, and of a very good water, and large, which are 

 found upon the Coaft of fapan; but there are few fifh'd for, in regard Jewels 

 are of no efteem among the Natives. 



There are other Fifberies in the Weft Indies ; in the firft place all along; the 

 Ifland of Cubagna, three Leagues in compafs, lying ten Degrees and la halt ot 

 Northern Latitude, a hundred and fixty Leagues from Santo Domingo. I He Pearls 

 • are fmall, feldom weighing above five Carats. 



The fecond Fifhery is in the Ifland of Manguerita ov the Ifland of Pearls, 

 a League from Cubagna, but much bigger, this Fifhery is not the moft plen- 

 tiful but itlsthe moft efteem'd of all thofe in the Weft Indus, byreafonthe 

 P^s'arVof moft excellent water, and very large, l®*^™*** 

 to Sha-Efl-Kan, the Great Moguls Uncle, that weigh d fifty-five Carats. ^ 



V 



