APPENDIX, 227 



in the fame part of the body as thofc in the fea. The muiTel, 

 too, is in every refpe6t, fimilar, I think larger, the outer fkin 

 or covering of it is of a vivid green. Upon removing this^ 

 which is the epidermis, what next appears is a beautiful 

 pink, without glofs, and feemingly of a calcareous nature. 

 Below this, the mother-of-pearl, > which is undermoft, is a 

 white without luftre, partaking much of the blue, and very 

 little of the red, and this is all the difference I obfervcd be- 

 tween it and the pearl- bearing muflel in the i<edSea; but 

 even this latter I always found in fhll water, fofc bottom, 

 and far from ftony or rocky ground. None of thefe pearl 

 mufTels, either in the Red bea or the defert, have any ap- 

 pearance of being ipinners, as they are generally delcribed. 

 to be. 



I have faid that the Baherein has been efteemed the 

 place whence the greateft quantity of pearls are brought. 

 I would be underftood to mean, that this has been the re- 

 puted greateft regular market from antiquity to the prefent 

 time, But Americus, in his fecond navigation, fays, that he 

 found an unknown people of that continent, who fold him 

 above 54 pound weight for 40 ducats* And Peter the Mar- 

 tyr fays, that Tunacca, one of ^he "tings of that country, 

 feeing the great defire the Spaniards had for pearls, and the 

 value they fet upon them, fent fome of his own people in 

 fearch of them, who returning the fourth day, brought 

 with them 12 pounds of pearls, each pound 8 ounces. If 

 this is the cafe, America furely excells both Africa and Afia 

 in the quantity of this article. 



Vol. V. H h The 



* The Spaniards have no gold ducats, fo this rauft have been fiJver, value about a cto\\i% 

 fo that the fum-total was L. 10 Sterling, 



