MUSCLE. 
565 
divers to carry to the bottom with them a sharp 
knife, with which they defend themselves against 
the attacks of their enemies. 
The boats go four or five leagues from the shore, 
and fish in twehty or thirty yards depth of watfef; 
The divers go down repeatedly in search of muscles; 
only resting about ten minutes betWeeh each time to 
recover their breath ; and in this laborious and painful 
employment they will continue for twelve hours every 
day. The shells arfe laid in heaps till the season is 
over, and the pearls are sorted according to the size, 
the very small or seed pearls being sold by the 
ounce, and those Unfit for ornament ground into 
powder. 
The pearls are fished for in the spring of the year 
in MarOh and April, and in the autumn in August 
and September. But it is sometimes necessary td 
allow the muscles to remain for a year untouched, 
as they will riot always produce pearls of sufficient 
size to make it worth the dealer’s while to employ 
his men. At best it seems but a precarious sort 
of traffic, as a vast many muscles are often brought 
to shore before a pearl of any consequence is found. 
The Persian Gulf has long been famous for its 
pearls ; and Tavernier mentions the fishery as being 
very extensive. Many very fine specimens have 
been brought from thence, whose value increases in 
proportion to their size and the beauty of their 
colour. All pearls are subject to become yellow 
after being exposed to the air for any length of time, 
and they will likewise decay if kept in a damp 
