314 
ON THE PEARL FISHERY OF LOWER CALIFORNIA* 
regulation which excited extreme discontent at the time, but which the Fathers 
had the power to get fully carried into effect. Their reason for debarring their 
people from this trade, was their conviction, founded on experience, that, if 
permitted, it would not only seduce them from their proper duties in the missions, 
but would inevitably lead to the oppression of their children the Indians—as they 
termed them. 
At the period of these regulations, at the very commencement of the seventeenth 
century, the revenue to the crown was not inconsiderable, as the king’s share 
(a fifth) amounted to no less than 12,000 dollars per annum for every bark 
employed. After the expulsion of the Jesuits the trade seems to have declined 
greatly, partly no doubt from the exhaustion of the Oyster-beds, but partly also 
from the mismanagement of the whole system adopted in its prosecution. 
When the pearl fishery was prosecuted to its greatest extent, from six to eight 
hundred Indian divers called 44 Bulos” were employed; it was carried on by 
small vessels of from fifteen to thirty tons burden, which were fitted out by 
private adventurers, and carried each from thirty to fifty divers. The owners 
accompanied the vessels, and carried with them provisions for the people, and a 
little money to advance them in the course of the season. The place of fitting 
out was at the port of Guaymas on the opposite coast, and when ready they had 
to procure a license from the Commandant-general of the province of Sonora, in 
which that port is situated; being so provided, they made sail for the coast of 
California, and cast anchor on such banks as contained pearl Oysters, which banks 
are called 44 Placeres.” The whole fishery, however, was not anciently carried 
on by vessels of the size above mentioned; and, perhaps, decked vessels were not 
at all then employed. The armadores went in launches, and the divers used 
canoes, bringing the Oysters on shore for the purpose of opening them. This is 
evident from the large heaps of shells yet remaining in many spots. Numerous 
canoes are still attached to the larger vessels employed at the present time. 
The manner of carrying on the fishery was as follows :—The vessel being 
anchored, and every thing ready, the divers plunged down in all directions, and 
dug up with a sharp-pointed stick as many Oysters as possible while they could 
remain under water; they then came up, took breath, and at the same time 
deposited the Oysters in bags hung over the vessel’s sides. Having done this, 
they again plunged under water, repeating the same operation till the bags w r ere 
full, or the usual time for working expired; they then all came on deck with the 
bags, and placed themselves in a circle round the owner, or, as he was called, 
the 44 armador” who took the contents of the whole bags, and made a division as 
follows :—two Oysters for the armador, two for the busos, and one for the king ; 
proceeding in this way till the whole of the Oysters were disposed of. When 
this operation was concluded, they all began to open the Oysters, beginning with 
