12 



THE COAST OF 



and in fome none at all ; they are afterwards taken out, cleaned, dried, and 

 then pafled through a kind of fieve, in order to diftinguifh their fizes : 

 fdch as are very fmall are fold for feed pearl, and the refl: according to their 

 magnitudes — Pearls have been always efteemed ; the Indians fet a great value 

 upon them, before zxiy Ruropeans came amongft them. The beauty and ex- 

 cellence of pearls confifts in their {hape and water j thofe that are perfedlly 

 round are moft efteemed, and next to thefe pear pearls. In Europe we 

 efteem moft the white or clear water ; but the Indians and Arabians prefer 

 the yellow, provided the pearls be perfedlly ripe. The great diftindion 

 between oriental and occidental pearl confifts in this, that the latter have a 

 caft of lead in their colour, however ripe or perfeft, which abates their 

 value; and yet Tavernier fpeaks of fix pearls which came from the IFeJi- 

 Indies, perfectly round and black, which, one with another, weighed twelve 

 carrats, and were efteemed at a high rate. Seed pearls, for the ufe of the 

 apothecaries, are worth about a crown an ounce ; fmall pearls, bored, are 

 worth from one to three crowns an ounce ; a round ripe pearl of a carrat 

 weight' may be worth about ten fhillings ; of two carrats about three 

 pounds ; of four carrats about fifteen pounds ; and a very perfedl pearl of 

 ten carrats, or the largeft fize, is efteemed at about two hundred pounds. 

 When pearls are very perfedt, and much above this fize, they have no re- 

 gular price, but ar& eftimated merely by fancy : thus the fine pearl which 

 the king of Spain has, called la Peregrina^ which weighs fifteen carrats, or 

 fomewhat lefs, is faid to be worth twenty thoufand pounds. Pear pearls 

 are about a third lefs in value than round. 



CARTHAGENA, 



IS the capital of a province of the fame name. The bay and the country 

 round Carthagena, anciendy called Calamari, were difcovered in 1 502, 

 by Roderigo de Bajiides. The Indians being natuiaily a very warlike people, 

 the very women (hared in defending the country. Their vifual arms were 

 bov/s and arrows, the points of v/hich they fo poifoned with the juice of 



certain 



