222 



MOTHER OF PEARL AND ITS USES. 



The exports of mother of pearl shells from Bombay have been as 



follows : 



Cwts. 



1851 

 1852 

 1853 



1854 



1,633 



Value. 

 .... £890 



1,851 1,481 



2,244 1,796 



— 1,810 



Owts. 



1855 

 1856 

 1857 

 1858 



Value. 



£1,406 

 1,861 

 1,658 

 3,063 



Pearl shells shipped from Tahiti, chiefly to Valparaiso and Sydney, and 

 thence to Europe : — 



Value. 



1845 

 1846 

 1847 

 1848 

 1849 

 1850 



£1,814 



Tons. 



324 .. 



, 210 1,176 



. 160 1,560 



, 212 3,380 



, 259 .., 



178 .. 



3,902 

 1,256 



Tons. Value. 



1851 340 £2,593 



1852 589 7,524 



1853 649 13,460 



1854 266 5,503 



1855 250 3,752 



1856 204 4,080 



In China there is a good demand for mother of pearl shells. They are 

 used for inlaying, and also manufactured into beads, fish-counters, spoons, 

 &c, but they do not seem to be used for buttons, as in Europe. Three 

 sorts of beads are made in China from these shells, one perfectly round, 

 the second uot quite round, and the other cut. The fish-counters are cut 

 of various shapes, round, oval, and oblong, and figured or engraved. They 

 are put up for sale in sets of 140 pieces. 



Mother of pearl shells imported into Great Britain from China : — 



Cwts. Value. 



1811 2,038 £11,964 



1812 



1813 



1815 



1816 



1817 



1818 



1819 



1820 



*)W« •••■ 



.. 5,674 



730 .... 



.. 3,315 



3,955 .... 



.. 1S,820 



2,972 .... 



.. 12.040 



2,331 .... 



.. 12,012 



1 421 

 - 1 , "j. •••■ 



.. 14,334 



1,308 .... 



.. 18,7S6 



2,074 .... 



.. 20,801 



Cwts. Value. 



1821 3,351 £30,005 



1S22 2,013 17,346 



1823 964 



1824 2,575 



1825 1,052 



1826 181 



1828 296 



1829 1,836 7,001 



1830 1,431 6,257 



7,848 

 8,910 

 5,967 

 774 

 1,783 



The receipt of mother of pearl shells from Panama has been largely on 

 the increase of late years. In 1S55 four vessels with 650 tons of pearl 

 shells collected at the islands in the Bay of Panama, sailed for GreatBritain. 

 Of these Victor Plise, Esq., loaded three at his islands. The shells from the 

 island of St. Joseph, one of the group known as the Pearl Islands, are said 

 to be the largest, purest, and best in the bay. In 1859 we received 957 tons 

 of pearl shells from Panama. 



AVorthy of note is the cathedral and some of the churches of Panama ; 

 the upper portions are studded with pearl shells, giving them a quaint and 

 sparkling appearance. Mr. Mac Micking, in his " Kecollections of Manilla 



