96 
The Pearl Fishery. 
'' The boat-owners and merchants are very apt to lose many 
of the best pearls while the boats are on their return to the 
bay from the banks, as the oysters, when alive and left for 
some time imdistiirbed, frequently open their shells of their 
own accord : a pearl may then be easily discovered, and the 
oyster prevented by means of a bit of grass or soft wood from 
again closing its shell, till an opportunity oflers of picking out 
tlie pearl. Those fellows who are employed to search among 
the fish also commit many depredations, and even swallow the 
pearls to conceal them; 'when this is suspected, the plan fol- 
lowed by the merchants is to lock the fellows up, and give 
them strong emetics and purgatives, which have frequently the 
eifect of discovering the stolen goods. 
As soon as the oysters are taken out of the boats, they are 
carried by the different people to whom the}^ belong, and pla- 
ced in holes or pits dug in the ground to the depth of about 
two feet, or in small square places cleared and fenced round 
for the purpose; each person having his own separate division. 
Mats are spread below them to prevent the oysters from 
touching the earth ; and here they are left to die and rot. 
As soon as they have passed through a state of putrefaction, 
and have become dry, they are easily opened without any dan- 
ger of injuring the pearls, which might not be the case if they 
were opened fresh, as at that time to do so requires great 
force. On the shell being opened, the oyster is minutely exa- 
mined for the pearls; it is usual even to boil the oyster, as 
the pearl, though commonly found in the shell, is not unfre- 
quently contained in the body of the fish itself. 
The stench occasioned by the oysters being left to putrefy 
is intolerable ; and remains for a long while after the fishery 
