Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Volume 2.djvu/374

 PEA

( 7*9)

PEC

Hands, when the People in the Bark, taking the Signal, heave 'em up into Air and unload 'em of their Jrifh, which is fometimes five hundred Oyfters, fometimes not above fifty.

Some of the Divers need a Moment's Refpite to recover Breath ; others jump in again inftantly, continuing this vio- lent Exercife without intermiflion, for many Hours.

On the Shore they unload their Barks, and lay their Oyf- ters in an infinite Number of little Pitts, dug four or five Foot fquare in the Sand ; railing heaps^ of Sand over 'em to the Height of a Man, which, at a Diftance, look like an Army rang'd in Battle.

In this Condition they are left, till the Rain, Wind, and Sun have oblig'd 'em to open, which foon kills 'em. Upon this the Flefh rots and drys, and the 'Pearls, thus difengaged, tumble into the Pit upon taking the Oyfters out.

The Flelhof the Fifh is excellent, and if what fome Natu- ralifts maintain be true, viz-, that the Pearls are Stones, form'd there by the ill Constitution of the Body, as fometimes happens in Men, and in the Sezoard ; this Difeafe does not alter the Humours ; at leaft, the Para-vas, who eat 'em, don't find any Difference between thofe that have 'Pearls and thole that have none.

After clearing the Pitts of the groffer Filth, they fift the Sand feveral times, to feparate the 'Pearls. But what Care foever they take herein, they always lofe a great many. Af- ter cleaning and drying the Pearls, they are pafs'd thro' a Kind of Sieves, according to their Sizes. The fmalleft are fold for Seed of Pearls 5 the reft are put up by Auction, and fold to the higheft Bidder.

Manner of Fiphgfor Pearl in the Weft-Indies.

The Seafon for Fifhing is ufually from OBober to March. In this Time there fet out from Cartbagena ten or twelve Barks under the Convoy of a Man of War, call'd Larmadel*- la. Each Bark has two or three Slaves, Divers.

Among the Barks, there is one call'd Cafotana ; to which all the reft are oblig'd to bring at Night what they have caught in the Day, to prevent Frauds. The Divers never laft lono, by rcafon of the great Hardfhips they fuftain ; con- tinuing fometimes under Water above a Quarter of an Hour.

The reft is the fame, as in the Eafi-India Fifheries.

The Indians knew the Value of their Pearls before the Dif- covcry of America ; and when the Spaniards arriv'd there, they found great Quantities ftor'd up, which the Americans fet great Value on. But they were almoft all imperfect, and their Water yellow and fmoaky 5 by reafon they us'd Fire in opening the Fifties.

In the "DiBionaire de Commerce, is aTable of the Value of ^Pearls t communicated to the Author by an able Hand. As 'pearls make a very curious Article in Commerce, and as their Value is a Thing little known among us ; we/hall here give the Reader an Abridgement of the fame, reduced to our Money, on the Foot of 1 s. 6d. Sterling the French Livre, or 4.-5", 6d. the French Crown.

Value of all kinds of Pearls^ with regard to their dif- ferent Weight.

Seeds of PEARLS.

/. s. d. fm Oz.

Seeds of 'Pearls not perforated, fit for?

grinding, are worth J

Fine Seed of Pearls perforated for t

fmall Necklace or Embroidery, 5

T)itlo a little larger, 01 16

Ragged, or Irregular P E A R L S. Of 5 co to the Ounce are worth 05 00

3CO 06 OQ

I50 II 02

IQO iS OO

CO # 35 15

30 75 00

Regular ROUND PEARLS.

One of I a Grain is worth 00 00 2?

Of a Grain 00 00 4^

Of a Grain and half 00 01 o

Of two Grains co 02 o

Of 2 Grains and half 00 04 6

Of 3 Grains co 07 6

Of 4 Grains, or 1 CaraB co 18 o

Of 5 Grains 01 10 o

Of <5 Grains 02 05 o

Of 7 Grains 03 01 o

Of 8 Grains, or two CaraBs 04 10 o

Of 9 Grains o<5 00 o

Of 10 Grains 08 05 o

Of 1 1 Grains

Of 13 Grains

Of 15 Grains

Of 1 7 Grains

Of 20 Grains, or 5 CaraBs

Of 22 Grains

Of 24 Grains, or 6 CaraBs

Of 26* Grains

Of 28 Grains, or 7 CaraBs

Of 32 Grains, or 8 CaraBs

Of 35 Grains, or 9 CaraBs

Of 40 Grains, or 10 CaraBs

09 15

21

27

37

52

82

99

150

225

z6z

300

& get Oz.

As to Pearls in form of Pears, tlio' equally perfecl, and of equal Weight with the round Ones, their Value is much in- ferior: However, when two are found that match well, their Value is but leis by one third.

Falfe Pearls, are counterfeit, or factitious Pearls, re- fembling the true Ones in Water or Colour. Theie anciently were only made of Glafs ; with a Kind of Tinfture of Quick- filver Withinfide, afterwards they us'd Wax, cover'd over with a fine Brillant Fifh Glue.

There has fince been invented in France, another manner of making em, fo near the natural Ones in Luftre and Water, that they deceive a good Eye. Thefe are what the Ladies now generally wear in defeef of true Pearl; little Necklaces whereof they defpife 5 and the great ones being generally too dear.

Method of making Falfe Pearls,

This curious Invention is owing to the Sieitr Janin, and is the more to be valued, in that, 'tis not only very fimpie, but prevents the ill Effects of falfe Pearls, made with Quick. iilver within, or Fifh Glue without.

That ingenious Anift having obferv'd, that the Shell of a little Fifh call'd Able, found plentifully in the River Marne y had not only all the Luftre of the real -'Pearl ; but that after diffolvingit in Water, it return'd to its former Brilliant upon drying j he bethought himfelf of fetting a Piece thereof in the Cavity of a Bead, or Grain of Girajol, which is a kind of Opal or Glafs, bordering much on the Colour of Pearl. The Difficulty was to get it in there, and when in, to fpread it equally throughout the Bead.

A little Glafs Tube fix or feven Inches long, and a Line and half in Diameter, but very fharp at one End* and a little crooked, ferv'd for the introducing of the Matter, by blowing it with the Mouth, after having taken up a Drop with the pointed Extremity of the 'Tube; and to fpread it throughout the inner Circumference, he contented himfelf to fhake it gently a long Time, in a little Ofier-Basket lined with Paper.

The diffolved Shell, faften'd by this Motion in the Infide of the Cryftallin, refumes 'its Luftre as it dries. To increafe this Luftre, in Winter, they lay the Beads in a Hair Sieve, or a Bolting-cloath, which they fufpend to the Ceiling, and un- der it, at 6 Foot Diftance, lay heaps of hot Afhes. In Sum- mer they fufpend 'em in the fame Manner, but without any Fire.

The 'Pearls, thus well dried, become very Brilliant 5 and nothing remains but to flop up the Aperture, which is done by melted Wax, convey'd into it with a Tube like that us'd in introuducing the diffolved Shell.

After clearing off the fuperfluous Wax, they perforate the Pearls with a Needle, and firing 'em 3 and thus they com- mence Necklace.

Mother of Pearl, is the Shell of the 2>£w/-Oyfter, or Fifh wherein the Pearls are form'd. See Pearl.

The Shell within-fide is very fmooth, and polifh'd, and of the Whitenefs and Water of Pearl itfelf; and it has the fame Luftre without-fide, after the firft Laming, or Leaves which make the outer Coat of this rich Shell Fifh, have been cleared off with Aquafortis and the Lapidaries Drill.

Mother of Pearl is us'd in inlay'd Works, in China Ver- ni(h, and in feveral Toys, as Snuff-boxes, &c.

Wens oj Pearl, are certain Excrecenfces, or prominent Places, in form of half Pearls; fometimes found in the Bot- tom of the Pearl Shells.

The Lapidaries have the Addrefs to Saw off thefe Protube- rances, to join 'em together, and to Ufe 'em in feveral Works of Jewelry, as if they were really Pearls.

Pearl, in Heraldry, is us'd by fuch as blazon with precious Stones, inftead of Colour and Metals, for Argent, or White. See Argent.

Pfakl, Pin, or Web in Medicine, an unnatural Speck, or thick Film over the Eye. SeePANNUS. See aftb Un- guis.

PECCANT in Medicine, an Epithet given to the Humours of the Body, when they offend either in Quantity or Quality, ft e. when they are either Morbid, or in too great Abun- dance. See Humour.

Moft Difeafes arife from Peccant Humours, which are 9 K. either