pEA
( 763 )
p E A
not leave unmention'd the popular Hypothecs of the Parana!, viz. that in rainy Weather the Erooks of the neighbouring Lands that empty 'emfelves_ all along the Coafls, run near two Leagues on the Surface of the Sea without mixing there- with. For a While, the fufpended Water retains its natural Colour and Sweetnefs ; but at length, the Heat of the Sun condensing it,iorms it into a Kind of light tranfparent Froth; this done, it prefently divides into an infinity of Parts, each ■whereof appears as it animated; moving this way and that, like little Infects. The Fifties fometim.es catch at 'em as they pafs by : but f'oon abandon 'em. By degrees their Skin thick- ening and hardening, they at length become heavy enough to iink to the Bottom, and affume the figure of Oyfters.
The Perfection of Pearls, whether round, in form of Pears, or Olives, or irregular, coi:fifts, chiefly in the Luftre and Clearnefs of the Colour ;which they call the Water. There are fomewhofe Water is white; which are thofe mofl efteem'd, in Europe. The Water of others borders on the Yellow, which fome Indians and Arabs prefer to the White. Others are of a Lead-colour, others border on Black; and others are quite Black.
They are all liable to change with wearing; in 80 or 100 ^ears they ufually become of little value; efpccially the white Ones, which turn Yellow, and fpoil in 40 or 50 Years time.
The Difference of Colours doubtlefs arifes from the dif- ferent Parts ot the Oifter wherein they are form'd When the Seed happens to be thrown into the Mefentery or Liver, or the Parts correfponding thereto, 'tis no wonder if the Impurities of the Bicod change the Natural White.
In Europe, Pearls are fold by the Carat-weight, the Carat containing four Grains.
In Afia, the Weights us'd for Pearls are different, in dif- ferent States. See Carat.
The Term Pearl is only properly applied to what grows independant of the Shell. 1 he Shell itielf is calFd Mother of Pearl. See Mother, of Pearl.
Thofe Pieces which have grown thereto, and have been fince feparated by the Addreis of the Workman, are call'd Wens 0) Pearls; which are in effect nothing bin roundifh Excrefcencies, or Pieces of the Shell; tho' frequently us'd for real Shell. See Wen of Pearl.
Pearls, F. Bov.hours obferves, have this Advantage over precious Stones dug out of Rocks, &c. that the Latter owe their Lulire ro the Induftry of Men ; Nature only, as it ■were hews 'em out, and leaves the finifhing of 'em to Art: But the Former are burn with that beautiful Water which gives 'em their Value. They are found perfectly poUfh'd in the Abyffes of the Sea ; and Nature has put the laft Hand to 'em 'ere they are i'eparat^d from the Mother.
Pearls or unufual Figures, ;. e. neither round, nor in the Pear-form, are call'd Barcguas, or Scotch-pearls : Thofe of un- ufual Sizes, are call'd ParangonS; as that of Cleopatra va- lued by Pliny at five hundred ihoufand Crowns; that brought in 1574 to Philip II. of the Size of a Pigeons Egg, valued at 14400 Ducats ; that of the Emperor Rudolph, mention'd by Bcethius, called La peregrma, or the incomparable, of the Size of a Mufcade Pear, and weighing 30 Carats ; and that mention'd by Tavermer, in the Hands of the Emperor of Perjia, in 16$%, bought of an Arab for 32000 Tomans, which at 3 /. 9s. the Toman, amounts to 1 10400/. Sterling.
Pearls, are of fome Ufe in Medicine ; but 'tis only the fmalleft Sort, call'd Seed of Pearls that is there ufed. The Quality required, is, that they be white, clear, and tranfparent ; and truly oriental. They ferve to make Cordial Potions, formerly much valued, but now fall'n much from their ancient Reputation ; and fcarce own'd by any but Char- let ans.
The Ladies alfo ufe certain Preparations of 'Pearls, as they are made to believe, for their Complexion; fuch as the Whites of Pearls, Flowers, Effences, Spirits, Tinctures, Sic. of Pearl -j but they are all apparently Deceits.
PEARL Fijheries.
pearl is fifh'd in the Seas of the Eafi-Indies 5 in thofe of America^ and in fome parts of Europe.
pEARL-P^cnes of the Eajf, are
I. The Ifland of Bahren, or Baharem, in the Perjian Gulph. This the Portuguese were Mailers of while they held Orfflus and Mafcata ; but it has been returned to the So- phi of Perfia, fince the Time that Prince, with the Affif- tance of the Englip, took from 'em Ormus , and the Arabs, Mafcata.
II. The Fifhery of Catifa, on the Coafl: of Arabia Felix, over-againft Bahreu.
III. That of Manar, a Sea-port in the Ifle of Ceylon. The pearls here fifh'd, are the fined in all the Eaft for their Water andRoundnefs,but they feldom exceed four Carats.
Laftly, there are Pearls fifh'd on the Coafl: of Japan > but they are coarfe and irregular, and little minded.
The Pearls o^Bahren and Catifa are thofe 'commonly fold in the Indies $ they border a little on the Yellow, but the Eajlem People don't value 'em the lefs tor it; they citccm it a Sign of their being Ripe and Mature, and are pcrluacled that thofe which have this yellowifh Tincture naturally, never change their Colour ; and that on the contrary, the white Water docs not hold above thirty Years, 'ere the Pearl af- fumes a filthy yellow Colour ; by reafon of the Heat of the Climate, and the Sweat of the Perfons who wear 'em. . American Pearl Fifoeries, are all in the great Gulph of Mexico^ along the Coaitof the 'Terra- Firma. There are five of 'em.
I; The Fifhery of Cubagna, an Ifland five Leagues from new Andalufta, in 10 T)eg. ~ N. Lat.
II. That of the Ifland Marguerites, or Pearl Ifland.
III. That of Comcgotc near the Terra- Firma.
IV. That of the River de la Hach, called la Rencheria.
V. That of St. Martha fixty Leagues from the River de Cattache.
The Pearls of thefe three laft Fifheries are ufually of a good Weight; but ill form'd, and of a Livid-Water. Thofe diCabagm feldom exceed 5 Carats; but are found in abun- dance. But the greateft Quantity, and the fineft, both with regard to Weight and Water, are thofe of the Ifland Mar- guerite.
Pearl Fifhery in Chinefe Tartary, is near the City .Nl- fetroa, fituate on a Lake of the fame Name : The Pearls here are lefs beautiful than thofe otBaharem 5 and the Fifhery lefs plentiful. 'Twas this Fifhery that occasioned the War between the Chinese and Mufcovites, terminated towards the End of the laft Century, by the Jefuites Pereira and GerbiU Ion; and the Lake, which is of great Extent, divided between the two Nations ; each whereof had pretended to the whole.
There are fome Pearl Fifheries in the South-Sea, but they are very inconfiderable.
Pearl Fijheries of Europe, are in fome Places on the Coafts of Scotland, and in a River of Bavaria : But the pearls found here are no ways comparable to thofe of the Eafi-lndies, or of America i tho' they ferve for Necklaces, fold fometimes for a thoufand Crowns and upwards.
M&niier of Fifting for Pearls in the Eafl-Indies.'
There are two Seafons of 2><?*?r/-Fifhing in the Year ; the firft in March and April, the fecond in Augiift and Septem- ber ; the more Rain falls in the Year, the more plentiful are the Fifheries.
In the Opening of the Seafon, there are found fometimes two hundred and fifty Barks on the Banks. In the larger Barks are two Divers, in the fmaller, one. Each Bark puts off from Shore 'ere Sun-rife, by a Land-breeze, which never fails ; and returns again by a Sea-breeze, which iucceeds it about Noon.
Affoon as the Barks are arrived, and have caft Anchor ; each Diver binds a Stone fix Inches thick, and a Foot Jong under his Belly; which is to ferve him as Ballaft, and pre- vent his being driven away by the Motion of the Water ; and to enable him to walk more fteadily a-crofs the Waves..
Befide this, they tye another very heavy Stone to one Foot, whereby they are funk to the Bottom of the Sea in a Mo- ment. And as the Oyffers are ufually ftrongly faften'd to the Rocks, they arm their Fingers with Leathern Mittons, to prevent their being wounded in fcraping 'em violently off" $ and fome even carry an Iron Rake for the Purpofe.
Laftly, each Diver carries down with him a large Net, in manner of a Sack, tied to his Neck by a long Cord the other End whereof is faften'd to the Side of the Bark. The Sack is deftined for the Reception of the Oyfters gather'd from the Rock, and the Cord to puii up the Diver when his Bag is full, or he wants Air.
In this Equipage he precipitates himfelf, fometimes above 60 Foot under Water. As he has no Time to lofe there, he has no fooner arrived at the Bottom, than he begins to run from Side to Side, fometimes on a Sand, fometimes on a Clayey Earth, and fometimes among the Points of Rocks ; tearing off the Oyfters he meets withal, and cramming 'em into his Budget.
At whatever Depth they be, the Light is fo great, that they eafily fee whatever paffes in the Sea, with the fame Clearnefs as on Land. And to their Confirmation, they fome- times fee monflrous Fifhcs, from which, all their Addrefs in mudding the Water, £■?£. won't fave 'em ; but they become their Prey ; and of all the Perils of the Fifhery, this is one of the greateft and muft ufual.
The belt Divers keep under Water for half an Hour, the reft don't flay 1e r s than a Quarter. During which Time, they hold their Breath without the Ufe of Oils, or any other Liquors. See Diutng.
When they find 'emfelves ftraiten'd. they pull the Roap to which the Bag is fattened, and hold fall by it with both
Hands
