PEARL FISHKRIES. 75 



up its share of the shells, and replaced it with a small tax of 

 eight shillings for each diver employed. 



The divers are provided with two meals a day. The 

 divine beeins about eleven a.m. and ends at two in the 

 afternoon. The depth of the banks varies from three to 

 twelve fathoms. The quantity of pearls procured by six 

 boats is evaluate to four or five pounds weight, worth from 



;f 1500 to ;£2000. 



There are many places where the divers are afraid 

 of going down on account of the sharks and rnantas, or 

 large poulps. They are more afraid of these last than of 

 sharks. It is very seldom that the sharks have the upper- 

 hand of them. They keep them away wdth a small stick, and 

 if necessary they make a good use of their knife. Opposite 

 the Island of Tiburon, situated in la Paz, (Lower California) 

 it has always been considered a good place for the fishing of 

 pearl oysters. This island is inhabited by the Ceris Indians. 

 These Indians guard jealously that part of their territory, and 

 occasionally they bring pearls and careys (tortoise shells) to 

 la Paz for sale. 



The capital of this department is Chilpancingo, nine 

 miles from Guerrero, the former capital. It has a population 

 of about 4,000 inhabitants, but the port of Acapulco, although 

 with a less population, is the most important city of the 

 Department. It is the residence of a chief magistrate, the 

 Captain of the Port, a municipal council, and several judges. 

 The Custom House gives employment to about fifty persons. 

 The fort has a garrison consisting of one com.pany of infantry 

 and one company of artillery. 



The chapel of Nuetra Senora da la Soledad is used 

 as the parish church, since the destruction of the latter, bv an 

 earthquake in 1790. 



The principal articles of exportation were cattle, sheep, 

 pigs, fowls, turtles, eggs, beans, rice, sugar, vegetables, and 

 fruits, amounting to about £5000 in 1852. Those of impor- 

 tation w^ere flour, spirits and wines, conserves, furniture and 

 all sorts of European fancy articles, but the demand was 

 limited. 



It is in this department that the celebrated ruins of 

 Xochicalco are situated at 60 miles from Mexico and 271 

 miles from Acapulco. It is one of the most important and 

 finest ruins of the primitive inhabitants of that countrv. 



Xochicalco, in Mexican, means flower's house" It is 

 thought that it was dedicated to Quetzalcoatl, the white 

 bearded man supposed by some to be Saint Thomas, 



