Book II. 



Travels in India. 



which they open, and if they find not in every thoufand Oyfters to the value 

 of five Fano's of Pearl, which amounts to half a Crown of our Money, 'tis a 

 fign that the Fifhing will not turn to account, in regard the poor people would 

 not be able to defray their charge. For partly for a ftock to fet out, and partly 

 for victuals while they are abroad, they are forc'd to borrow Money at three 

 and four in the hundred a month. So that unlefs a thoufand Oyfters yeild 

 them five Fano's of Pearls, they do not fifh that year. As for the Merchants 

 they mult buy their Oyfters at hap-hazard, and be content with what they 

 find in them. If they meet with great Pearls, they account themlèlves happy } 

 which they feldom do at the Fifhery of Manor, thofe Pearls being fit for little 

 elfe but to be fold by the Ounce, to powder. Sometimes a thoufand Oyfters a- 

 mounts to feven Fano's, and the whole Fifhery to a hundred thoufand Plafters. 

 The Hollanders take of every Diver eight Piafters, in regard they always attend 

 the Fifhery with two or three fmall Men of War, to defend them from the 

 Malavares Pyrats. 



The more Rain falls in the year, the more profit-able the Fifhery happens to 

 be. They fifh in twelve fathom water, five or fix Leagues off at Sea, fome- 

 times two hundred and fifty Barks together, among Which there is not above 

 one or two Diners at moft. . 



There is a Cord ty'd under the Arms of them that dive, one end whereof is 

 held by them that are in the Bark. There is alfo a great ftone of eighteen or 

 twenty pound ty'd to the great Toe of him that dives j the end of the Rope 

 that faftens it being alfo held by them in the VefTel. The Diver has befide a 

 Sack made like a Net, the mouth whereof is kept open with a Hoop. Thus 

 provided, he plunges into the Sea, the weight of the ftone prefently finking 

 him ; when he is at the bottom, he flips off the ftone, and the Bark puts off. 

 Then the Diver goes to filling his Sack, as long as he can keep his breath j 

 which when he can do no longer, he gives the Rope a twitch, and is prefently 

 hall'd up again. Thole of Manar are better Fifhers, and ftay longer in the wa- 

 ter than thofe of Bakren and Catifa ; for they neither put Pincers upon theif 

 Nofes, nor Cotton in their Ears, as they do in the Perftan Gulf. 



After the Diver is draw'n up, he ftays half a quarter of an hour to take 

 breath, and then dives again, for ten or twelve hours together. As for the 

 Oyfters themfelves, they throw em away, as being ill-tafted and unfàvoury. 



To conclude the difcourfe of Pearls, you are to take notice, that in Europe 

 they fell them by the Carat weight, which is four Grains, In Perfia they fell 

 them by the Abas, and one Abas is an eighteenth lefs than our Carat. In the 

 Dominions of the Mogul,' the Kings of Vifapour and Golconda weigh them by 

 the Ratis, and one Ratis is alfo an eighteenth lefs than our Carat. 



Goa was formerly the greateft place of the world for the trade of Jewels 

 and Pearls. You mult know therefore, that in Goa, and in all other places which 

 the Portugais had in the Indies, they us'd a particular weight tolèll their Pearls 

 by, which they call Chego's; the proportion whereof to Carats appears in the 

 following Table. 



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