Travels in India (Tavernier) 100: Concerning the manner in which Pearls originate in Oysters, how they are fished for and at what Seasons.
Travels in India (Ball) 100
- Language
- English
Concerning the manner in which Pearls originate in Oysters, how they are fished for and at what Seasons.
100.1
I AM aware that according to the testimony of some ancient authors, who were not well instructed in these matters, it was commonly believed that the pearl originates from the dew of heaven, and that but one is found in each oyster ; but experience proves the contrary. For, as regards the first, the oyster does not stir from the bottom of the sea, where the dew cannot penetrate, and sometimes it is necessary to dive for them to a depth of 12 cubits, as we shall see presently ; and as for the other, it is common to find up to six or seven pearls in a single oyster, and I have seen one in which there were up to ten in process of formation. It is true that they are not all of the same size, because they are produced in the oyster in the same manner as eggs are in the interior of a fowl : as the largest egg advances towards the orifice and goes out first, while the small eggs remain inside to complete their formation ; so the largest pearl advances first, and the other, smaller ones, not having arrived at their full perfection, remain under the oyster at the bottom of the shell until they have attained the size which nature gives them. But it cannot be said that there are pearls in all oysters, and one may open many in which none are found.
100.2
Moreover, it should not be supposed that a great profit is earned by those who fish for pearls ; for if the poor people who engage in it had anything else to do they would leave the fishing, which merely saves them from dying of hunger. I have remarked in my account of Persia, that from Bassora up to Cape Jasque, on both coasts of the Gulf of Persia, the land produces nothing. The people there are so poor, and live in so miserable a manner, that they never have any bread or rice, and have only dates and salt fish for their food, and you must travel nearly 20 leagues inland before finding grass. This fishing in the Eastern seas takes place twice in the year, the first being in March and April, and the second in August and September, and the sale lasts from the month of June till November, but this fishing does not take place every year. For those who fish like to know beforehand whether it will pay. In order not to be deceived they send to the fisheries seven or eight boats, each of which brings back about 1000 oysters, which are opened, and if there is not found in every thousand oysters the value of 5 fanos of pearls — that is to say a half écu of our money — it is accepted as a proof that the fishing will not be good, and that these poor people would not recover the outlay which they would have to incur. For both on account of their outfit and for their food during the time of the fishing they borrow money at the rate of from 3 to 4 per cent per month.
100.3
Accordingly, if, at the least, 1000 oysters do not yield 5 fanos worth of pearls, they do not fish during that year. The merchants buy the oysters on chance, and content themselves with what they find inside. It is a great piece of good fortune when large pearls are found, but it rarely occurs, especially at the Manar fishery, which produces no large ones, as I have said, the majority being only pearls to be sold by the ounce and ground into powder. Only a few among them weigh half a grain or a grain, and it is a great event when any of 2 or 3 carats are found. In some years the 1000 oysters contain up to 7 fanos worth, and the whole fishing yields 100,000 piastres and over. While the Portuguese were masters of Manar they levied toll from every boat, and the Dutch, who have taken possession of it from them, now levy 8 piastres from each diver, and sometimes up to 9; this yields them a revenue in the best years amounting to 17,200 reals. The reason why the Portuguese took this revenue from these poor people, and why the Dutch take it still, being that they are obliged to protect them against their enemies, the Malabaris, who come with armed boats to capture these fishers in order to make slaves of them.
100.4
Whilst the fishing lasts the Dutch always keep, at sea, two or three armed boats on the quarter whence the Malabaris come, these precautions being taken so that the work may proceed in safety. The fishermen are for the most part idolaters, but there are also Muhammadans who have separate boats. They never mingle with one another, and the Dutch levy more from the latter than from the others. For the Muhammadans, besides having to pay as much as the idolaters, have also to give one day’s take, the particular day being left to the choice of the Dutch. The heavier the rainfall in the year, the better is the pearl-fishery. But since many think that at the greatest depths at which the oyster is found, the pearl is whitest, because the water is not so hot there, and the sun has more difficulty in penetrating to the bottom, it is necessary to correct this error. The fishing is carried on in from 4 to 12 cubits depth on the banks, where there are sometimes up to 250 boats. In the majority (of the boats) there is but one diver, and in the largest only two. These boats sail from the coast every day before sunrise, with a land wind which never fails and lasts till 10 a.m. In the afternoon they return with a wind from the sea, which succeeds the land-wind, and does not fail to blow at 11 or 12 o’clock, as soon as the other has ceased. The banks are at 5 or 6 leagues out to sea, and when the boats have arrived there the oysters are fished for in the following manner; —
100.5
A cord is tied under the arms of those who dive. which those who remain in the boats hold by the end. Attached to the diver’s great toe is a stone of 18 to 20 pounds weight, which those who remain in the boat also hold by a rope. They have also a net made like a sack, the mouth of which is surrounded by a hoop to keep it open, and this net is attached like the rest. Then the diver plunges into the sea, and as soon as he reaches the bottom, which he does quickly, on account of the weight of the stone attached to his great toe, he removes the stone, and those who are in the barque draw it up. For as long as the diver is able to hold his breath he puts oysters into the net, and as soon as he feels that he is unable to hold out longer, he pulls the cord which is tied under his arms; this is the signal for him to be drawn up, which those who are in the boat do as quickly as they can. The people of Manar are better fishers, and remain for a longer time under the water than those of Bahren and El’ Katif, for they do not place any clips on their noses nor cotton in their ears to keep the water from entering, as is done in the Persian Gulf.
100.6
After the diver has been drawn into the boat the nets containing the oysters are hauled up, and it requires about seven or eight minutes to lift the oysters and to give the diver time to regain breath, after which he returns to the bottom as before; this he does many times during ten or twelve hours, and then returns to land. Those who are in want of money sell what they have taken, at once, but those who have what they require to live on, keep the oysters until the whole fishing is finished. The oysters are left unopened, and as they decay open of themselves. There are some of these shells which are four times as large as those of our Rouen oysters, but as the flesh of this kind of oyster, of which we speak, is poor and of bad flavour, it is not eaten but is thrown away. To conclude the discourse on pearls, it should be remarked that throughout Europe they are sold by carat weight, which is equal to 4 grains, the same as the diamond weight, but in Asia the weight is different. In Persia the pearls are weighed by the abás, and an abás is an eighth less than our carat. In India, and in all the territories of the Great Mogul and the Kings of Golconda and Bijapur, they are weighed by ratis, and the rati is also an eighth less than the carat.
100.7
Goa was formerly the place where there was the largest trade in all Asia in diamonds, rubies, sapphires, topazes, and other stones. All the miners and merchants went there to sell the best which they had obtained at the mines, because they had there full liberty to sell, whereas, in their own country, if they showed anything to the Kings or Princes, they were compelled to sell at whatever price they pleased to fix. There was also at Goa a large trade in pearls, both of those which came from the island of Bahrem in the Persian Gulf, and those fished for in the straits of Manar on the coast of the island of Ceylon, as also of those which were brought from America. It should be known then, that in Goa and in all the other places which the Portuguese hold in India, they have a particular weight for pearls which is not used in the other places where there is a trade in pearls, neither in Europe, Asia, nor America. I do not include Africa, because this trade is unknown there, and because in that part of the world the women content themselves, in lieu of jewels, with pieces of crystal, beads of false coral or yellow amber, of which they make necklaces and bracelets to wear on their arms and legs.
100.8
The Portuguese, then, in all the places in India where they are in authority, sell pearls by a weight which they call chegos, but buy them of the merchants, according to the places from whence they bring them, by carats, abds, or ratis. The table which follows shows the ratio between these chegos and carats. Carats. Chegos. Carats. Chegos. Carats. Chegos. Carats. Chegos. 1 5 11 84 21 306 31 667 2 8 12 100 22 336 32 711 3 11 13 117 23 367 33 756 4 16 14 136 24 400 34 802 5 21 15 156 25 430 35 850 6 27 16 177 26 469 36 900 7 34 17 200 27 37 950 8 44 18 225 28 544 38 1002 9 56 19 250 29 584 39 1056 10 69 20 277 30 625 40 1111