'104 
The Pearl Fishery. 
stantly attend to watch over and observe them. One instance 
I recollect of the ingenuity employed by the Indians to evade 
the care of the superiiitendants. A band of them having been 
employed by a boat-owner to open Ihs oysters, they concerted 
a regular plan for pilfering tlie most valuable pearls. One 
was appointed to be the thief, and to contrive to steal awa}'' 
a valuable pearl ; while another, on a signal being previously 
given, was to make a shew of carrying off one of small value 
and to run the risk of being punished for this offence, in 
order to attract the attention of the superiiitendant, and thus 
afford an opportunity to the real thief to get his booty clear 
off. This plan having been arranged, they went on very 
quietly with their work, till one of them lighted on a very 
valuable pearl, and instantly made the signal to the thief who 
was to act the feigned part. The latter, according to his cue, 
immediately began to secrete some pearls of small value, in 
such a manner as to be observed by the superinteiidants, who, 
in consequence, seized upon him, detected the pearls about 
him, and began to punish him. This occasioned a great bustle, 
for the fellow made as much noise and resistance as he could ; 
while, in the mean time, the real thief laid hold of the oppor- 
tunity to secrete and secure the valuable pearl. This roguery 
was afterwards discovered in consequence of a quarrel among 
tliemselves about the division of the booty. It had been 
agreed that the pearls should be sold, and the price divided 
amongst them, according to the parts they were to act in 
procuring it : but the mock thief who had been punished and 
turned off from his employment on account of his share in 
-the transaction, thought himself also entitled to a greater share 
in the profits than the rest ’vtere willing to allow him ; and 
