142 PEARL FISHERY. 



millions two hundred thousand dollars of an- 

 nual produce, and this only from the fishery 

 of the Atlantic side of Colombia ; so that 

 there would still remain all the rich fishery 

 in the Pacific Ocean, equal at least to the 

 former, and making the whole annual pro- 

 duce amount to six millions four hundred 

 thousand dollars' worth of pearls. But as 

 only one half the coast on each side is al- 

 lowed to be fished at a time, the actual an- 

 nual produce may be three millions two 

 hundred thousand dollars, or six hundred 

 and forty thousand pounds sterling, at the 

 present worth of the dollar. And this is by 

 no means improbable, as it must be remem- 

 bered, that since 1683 to the present time, 

 being a lapse of one hundred and forty-one 

 years, the fishery has been neglected, so 

 that the oysters are found to have increased 

 most wonderfully ; besides, in the Bay of 

 Panama, ravenous fish have of late years 

 appeared, which entirely prevent the divers 



