Pearls and the Pearl Fisheries, 



403 



Imperial court, and by all who were ambitious of adorning 

 their persons. Pearls of two and three inches in circum- 

 ference are spoken of Mingti, a Chinese monarch of the 

 early part of the tenth century, celebrated for his extrava- 

 gance, had such a profusion of pearls ornamenting his 

 canopy, the trappings of his horses and chariots, and 

 decorating his person and the persons of his nobles, that 

 the road was often strewn with the gems which the gorgeous 

 cortege dropped in its train. A custom was prevalent, 

 termed " scattering in the palace," in which embassies from 

 tributary States strewed pearls about in abundance; indeed, 

 on one occasion, a garment composed of strings of pearls 

 was thus presented. 



It is debatable ground whether pearls come strictly 

 under the term " gems," but they are, at least, very precious 

 in price and general estimation. The value of the pearls 

 owned in Europe, America, and India must be consider- 

 able, if we consider what have been the accumulation of 

 ages, how eagerly the search for them is still prosecuted, 

 and how anxious those having wealth at command are to 

 possess the choicest of their kind. We have but very im- 

 perfect data on which to frame any reliable estimate of the 

 Western commerce in pearls. A large dealer has assured 

 me that from ;^ 100,000 to ;^ 120,000 is about the annual 

 value of those received here. If we examine the official 

 Board of Trade returns we find that the declared and 

 computed value of the pearls, set or unset, imported into 

 the United Kingdom in the 18 years ending with 1870, 

 exceeded i^i,ooo,ooo sterling. 



This, be it remembered, is much under the true value, 

 and relates only to Great Britain, whilst quantities are 

 brought in unrecorded. If we consider also how many are 

 sent to the East, and are sold on the continent and in 



