PEARL
THE BISHOP OF CHIAPA CHAMPIONS THE INDIAN PEARL DIVERS: SIZE OF THE OLD
PEARL FIELDS: VALUE OF EXPORTS TO EUROPE IN 16TH CENTURY: THE
PERSIAN GULF: THE CEYLON FISHERIES: THE “BINDER OF SHARKS”: THE
PEARL CHARM OF THE DIVERS: CLASSIFICATION OF PEARLS IN CEYLON: THE
RED SEA FISHERIES, THE SOURCE OF KLEOPATRA’S PEARLS: THE AUSTRALIAN
FISHERIES: NEED FOR THEIR PROTECTION: OTHER FISHERIES: STORY OF THE
DISCOVERY OF NEW GUINEA PEARLS: TOWN OF THE NYMPHS: RIVER FISHERIES:
A RIVER PEARL IN THE BRITISH CROWN: “SHELLS OF THE FLOOD”: DIVERS
BENEATH THE SEA: THE FOLK LORE OF THE PEARL: VISHNU’S NECKLACE OF 5
PRECIOUS STONES: EMBLEMS OF PEARLS: PEARLS AND PERSONS: PEARLS AND
LUNAR NUMBERS: A MADAGASCAR BIRTH CUSTOM: THE ANGEL, DAY, SIGN AND
PLANET OF THE PEARL: AS A DREAM SYMBOL: PREJUDICE AND ITS VALUE: THE
PEARLS OF LINNAEUS: CHINESE AND JAPANESE CULTURE PEARLS: PEARL
“FAKING”: COCOANUT PEARLS.
“_Or where the gorgeous East with richest hand
Showers on her Kings barbaric pearl and gold._”
MILTON.
The benevolent Bishop of Chiapa, Mexico, Bartolome de las Casas, came
forth as the protector of the Indians in the cruel times of their
oppression. On their behalf he crossed the Atlantic sixteen times, and
he tells of the hellish tortures to which they were subjected by their
Spanish conquerors: “Nothing,” says this good man, “nothing could be
more cruel and more detestable.” (“Brevissima Relacion de la Destruccion
de las Indias,”1539). The story he writes of the Indian pearl divers is
a sad one; as soon as the diver came up from the depths the brutal
overseer, scarcely allowing him time to breathe the pure air, beat him
savagely and compelled him to go down again. His food was poor and
scanty, and Mother Earth his bed; his glossy black hair turned
prematurely gray, his lungs became diseased, he spat blood freely and
the ravenous shark ended his tragic life on earth. The natural result of
greed and oppression practically exhausted these fisheries from the
neighborhood of which the ancient kings of Mexico drew so much wealth.
Indeed, it was the sight of the poor natives adorned with ropes of
pearls which excited the cupidity of the first Spaniards who adventured
to their shores. There being no provision made for the protection of the
oysters in this fishery, it “gave out” almost entirely towards the end
of the 17th century. An idea of the magnitude of these fisheries (which
included the ancient grounds between Acapulco and the Gulf of
Tehuantepec on the West Mexican coast, and the Caribbean Sea by the
islands of Coche, Cubagua, and Margarita) can be gathered from the value
of the export to Europe up to the first half of the 16th century. The
annual value exported was stated to exceed 800,000 Spanish dollars,
those famous “Pieces of Eight” which bring us back to the time of
“Treasure Island” and the buccaneers of the Spanish Main. As much as 700
lbs. weight of pearls was sent to Seville in the year 1587, amongst
them, it is stated, being specimens of rare worth and beauty. Fine
quality pearls are still found at Panama and the Gulf of Mexico. The
poor progress of these fisheries is said to be due to the wretched pay
offered to the Indian and negro divers in the past. It is a strange fact
that progress and prosperity are gained only by the pursuance of an
enlightened policy towards employees, and this is nowhere so clearly
indicated as in the history of the pearl.
Pearls from the Persian Gulf are amongst the most esteemed of the
present day. The fisheries of the Great Pearl Bank extend along the West
from Ras Hassan half way up the Gulf. To the Eastern no pearl is so
beautiful and full of colour as the pearl from the Persian Gulf. The
colour is very enduring and improves by being worn next the
skin—especially of a person whose jewel it is. The Ceylon fisheries have
not been yielding so well of late years, but with wisdom will no doubt
regain their old place. The main oyster bank is near Condatchy, about
twenty miles from the shore. Twenty men, ten of whom are divers, under a
tindal or captain, comprise the crew of each boat. The divers are quick
and expert at their work, and although remaining under water seldom more
than a minute, have been known to bring to the surface as many as 150
shells. The pearl diver’s greatest dread is the ground shark, and all
the time the boats are out the conjurer, termed the “Binder of Sharks”
or “Pillal Harras,” stands on the shore muttering prayers and
conjurations. The divers wear also a pearl about their bodies as a charm
against their dreaded enemy. The beautiful island of Ceylon—the
Taprobane of the old Greeks and Romans and the Serendib of the Arabian
Nights—is itself shaped like a great drop pearl and is believed by the
Indians to be a “part of Paradise.”
Perfectly round and fine lustre pearls are called by the Ceylonese
“Annees,” next in grade are called “Annadaree.” Irregular pearls of
lesser lustre are called “Kayarel,” generally known amongst us as
“Baroques.” Pearl-shaped inferior specimens are called “Samadiem,” those
duller and irregular are termed “Kallipoo,” a poorer grade again is
known as “Koorwell,” and the lowest type is “Pesul.” Small seed pearls
are known as “Tool.”
Kleopatra’s famous pearls no doubt came from the Red Sea fisheries which
are believed to have been the property of the Egyptian rulers. The
Western Australian fisheries, especially those at Broome and Shark’s
Bay, are yearly becoming of greater importance and value, although
judicious and scientific means should be taken to prevent these valuable
fields from sharing the fate of some of the older ones. The fisheries at
Thursday Island and Northern Australia are important and the author was
told that pearls were discovered in New Guinea through a sailors’ row
with the natives, who pelted the offending lugger with pearl-bearing
shells which, when broken on the decks of the vessel, revealed their
precious prizes. The remarkable Town of the Nymphs near the Japanese
city of Ishinomonsky on the Pacific coast, obtains its name from the
women who support their families by diving for pearls. It is a place of
many centuries old and the nymphs begin their strenuous work at the age
of 14, continuing until they are 40. Pearl shells abound in Sebiam Bay
and the work of the nymphs occupy 10 hours a day in summer time. The
length of each immersion is from 2 to 3 minutes. When the baby girl is
four years of age she is taken to the sea and taught to swim and dive.
These lessons continue until the time comes for the serious practice of
the pearl seekers’ profession. This work is all done by women whilst the
men attend to the training of the children and the duties of the
household.
Mention may also be made of the River fisheries of England, Scotland,
Wales, Ireland and various parts of Europe where the pearls found are as
a rule not of great importance, although it is stated that Sir Richard
Wynn of Gwydyr, Chamberlain to Catherine, wife of Charles II, sent a
pearl from the river Conway in North Wales as a present to the Queen,
which pearl is today in the King of England’s crown. In Wales these
river pearl shells are called by the poetic name Cregin y Dylu, shells
of the Flood.
The gradual replacement of naked divers by those in diving dress may
tend to make the yields more effective, but the work is not without its
dangers, the toiler beneath the sea having still to meet the challenge
of its denizens—the shark, the diamond fish and the deadly octopus.
“_The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a merchantman seeking goodly
pearls._”
BOOK OF MATTHEW.
The pearl was esteemed as the emblem of purity, innocence and peace, and
was sacred to the Moon and Diana. For this reason in ancient times it
was worn by young girls and virgins on whom the protection of “chaste
Diana” was invoked. Generally as an emblem of chastity the pearl was
worn on the neck. As a cure for irritability it was ground to a fine
powder and a quantity, seldom more than a grain, was drunk in new milk.
In doses of the same quantity mixed with sugar it was recommended to be
taken as a charm against the pestilence.
The Hindus included the pearl amongst the five precious stones in the
magical necklace of Vishnu, the other four being the diamond, ruby,
emerald, and sapphire.
The golden pearl was the emblem of wealth, the white of idealism, the
black of philosophy, the pink of beauty, the red of health and energy,
the grey of thought. Lustreless pearls are considered unfortunate, as
also are pearls that have lost their sheen when on a dying person’s
finger, as sometimes happens. It is curious how pearls improve in lustre
when worn by some persons and how they deteriorate when worn by others.
A recent writer commenting on this advised that if “pearls turned colour
temporarily when worn by certain persons they should be put away for a
few days and the detrimental effects of constitutional acids will be
found to have entirely disappeared.” To an extent this is correct, but
it is equally certain that if the person by whom the pearls were
affected were to continue wearing them they would be destroyed
altogether. This is quite in accord with the occult philosophy of the
ancient masters who held that only people who had favourable planets in
Cancer—the Celestial sign of the Ocean—or in whose nativities the lunar
aspects were favourable could wear pearls. The Moon, however, in the
sign Capricorn was not considered favourable for wearing pearls, and
some writers also include the sign Scorpio. A half-moon shaped whitish
stone of about 25 lbs. weight was oftentimes used by the Ceylonese pearl
divers, tied around their waists, when making the plunge for the pearl
oyster, and the crew of 20—a lunar number—which made up the Ceylon
pearling boat company may have traditional authority, and may be
something more than mere coincidence.
The Princess of Yemen, previously mentioned, wore seven strands of
pearls. Seven is the positive number of the Moon or the Moon’s number
when going from new to full. This was recognized by ancient nations and
it may be well assumed that the symbolic meaning was understood by the
advisers to the Princess.
A custom exists in Madagascar which finds a parallel amongst the
ancients: it is believed that if at an afflicted birth pearls be buried
good will come to the child and will continue to come unless the pearls
be unearthed.
The Pearl was sacred to the angel Gabriel and Monday was its special day
of the week, the Moon was its planet and the zodiacal Cancer its sign.
To dream of pearls is considered a favourable omen, being held to
indicate wealth and honour gained by personal exertion. To the poor the
pearl denotes riches. It is the symbol of happy marriage and popularity.
That pearls are unfortunate is as untrue as that opals or any other gems
are. That they are unfavourable to some is as true as that they are
favourable to others, but prejudice being narrow and self-centred is
hard to kill. A young lady of good family actually told the author that
she would never wear pearls because she was unfortunate whenever she
wore her necklace. Upon examining this terrible necklace the author saw
that the alleged pearls were merely imitation! As imitation pearls
scarcely come within the province of this book it may be sufficient to
mention that in the year 1748 Linnaeus wrote to Dr. Haller, the
physiologist, telling him that he had ascertained how pearls grow in
shells. “I am able to produce in any mother of pearl shell that can be
held in the hand, in the course of 4 or 5 years, a pearl as large as the
seed of a common vetch.” This discovery by the great naturalist was
regarded as of such importance by the Swedish Government that they
ennobled Linnaeus, rewarded him with a gift of £450, and began to
manufacture pearls under his direction with great secrecy. Linnaeus’
method had long been anticipated by the Chinese who used to throw pieces
of mother of pearl, grit, etc., into the live oyster. It is said that in
a year the coating over a piece of mother of pearl would be sufficient.
Of late years the Japanese have acted on these practices with
considerable skill, producing by mechanical means some beautiful
specimens. Still, beautiful as they are, they are not _real_ pearls.
A good deal of pearl “faking” is practised, and a short time ago a pearl
broker in Paris was sentenced to imprisonment for tampering with the
colour of a pearl. But whenever chemical means are employed in tinting a
pearl the false colours invariably fade and leave the specimen worse off
than before, more especially if a lady with a “good pearl skin” wears
it.
In his book on “Malay Magic,” Mr. W. W. Satek gives the following
interesting account of Cocoa Nut Pearls, quoting from Dr. Deny’s
“Descriptive Dictionary of British Malaya,” with acknowledgments to
“Nature”:—
“During my recent travels,” Dr. Sidney Hickson writes to a scientific
contemporary, “I was frequently asked by Dutch planters and others if I
had ever seen a ‘cocoanut stone.’ These stones are said to be rarely
found (one in two thousand or more) in the perisperm of the cocoanut,
and when found are kept by the natives as a charm against disease and
evil spirits. This story of the cocoanut stone was so constantly told
me, and in every case without variations in its details, that I made
every effort before leaving to obtain some specimens and eventually
succeeded in obtaining two. One of these is nearly a perfect sphere, 14
mm. in diameter, and the other, rather smaller in size, is irregularly
pear-shaped. In both specimens the surface is worn nearly smooth by
friction. The spherical one I have had cut into two halves but I can
find no concentric or other markings on the polished cut surface. Dr.
Kimmins has kindly submitted a half to a careful chemical analysis and
finds that it consists of pure carbonate of lime without any trace of
other salts or vegetable tissue.” On this letter Mr. Thistleton Dyer
remarks:—
“Dr. Hickson’s account of the calcareous concretions occasionally found
in the central hollow—filled with fluid—of the endosperm of the seed of
the cocoanut is extremely interesting. The circumstances of the
occurrence of these stones or pearls are in many respects parallel to
those which attend the formation of tabasheer. In both cases mineral
matter in palpable masses is withdrawn from solution in considerable
volumes of flint contained in tolerably large cavities in living plants
and in both instances they are monocotyledons. In the case of cocoanut
pearls the material is calcium carbonate and this is well known to
concrete in a peculiar manner from solutions in which organic matter is
also present. In my note on Tabasheer I referred to the reported
occurrence of mineral concretions in the wood of various tropical
dicotyledonous trees. Tabasheer is too well known to be pooh-poohed, but
some of my scientific friends express a polite incredulity in the other
cases.” The specimen presented by Mr. Skeat to the Cambridge
Ethnological Museum is encircled by a black ring which is caused, it is
said, by its adherence to the shell of the cocoanut. These cocoanut
pearls are of much interest and may perhaps be included amongst the
mineral curiosities which comprehend tabasheer, apatite, etc. Ancient
philosophy would probably associate them with the sign Cancer as is the
case with pearls found in seas and rivers. Swedenborg writes that pearls
are Truth and the knowledge of Truth, celestial and spiritual knowledge,
faith and charity.