Travels in India (Tavernier) 98.6

98.6

Many are astonished to learn that pearls are taken from Europe to the East, from whence they come in abundance, but it should be remarked that in the Oriental fisheries they are not found of as great weights as in those of the West, added to which all the kings and great nobles of Asia pay much better than do people in Europe, not only for pearls, but for all kinds of jewels — when they are out of the common run — excepting only the diamond. The third fishery is at Comogote, near the mainland. The fourth is at Rio de la Hacha, along the same coast. The fifth, and last, is at Sainte Marthe, 60 leagues from Rio de la Hacha. All these three fisheries produce pearls of good weight : but generally they are ill-formed and are of a leaden-coloured water. Finally, as for the pearls of Scotland, and those which are found in the rivers of Bavaria, although necklaces are made of them which are worth up to 1000 écus and beyond, they cannot enter into comparison with those of the East and West Indies.