EXTRACT from tervernier s voyages.

253

ones as well as the fmooth, taking the whole at a fixed price. They alfo carry fome toBalfora, while thofe that are carried to Perfia and Mufcovy, are fold at Bander-Congo,two days journey from Qrmus. In all thefe places I have mentioned, as well in otherparts of Afia, they like better to fee the water of a yellow call than white, becaufe theyfay that thofe pearls in which the water is a little tinged like gold, always retain theirhrightnefs, and never alter: while thofe that are white, feldom laft longer than thirtyyears without changing;, when, owing as well to the warmth of the country as the heatof the body, they take a dull yellow colour.

Before taking leave of the gulf of Ormus, I fhall fpeak a little more in addition towhat is mentioned in my account of Perfia, of the admirable pearl in the poffeffion of- the Arabian prince that took Mefcate from the Portuguefe, on which occafion he af-fumed the name of Imenhect prince of Mafcate, being before called Aceph Ben-Ali,prince of Norenuae. This, though but a fmall province, is the finell in all Arabia theHappy, containing every thing necefiary for the life of man, but particularly fine fruits,and above all, moll excellent grapes, from which they can make very good wine. ItIs this prince that polfelfes the fineft pearl in the whole world, not on account of itsfize, for it weighs but 12 carats and Tfj nor for its perfect roundnefs, but becaufe it isfo bright and tranfparent, that you can almoft fee the light through it. As the gulf'over againft Ormus is little more than twelve leagues from Arabia the Happy, on thePerfian fide, and the Arabs are at peace with the Perfians, the prince Mafcate came tov |fit the Khan of Ormus, by whom he was magnificently treated, at the fame time in-viting the Englilh, Dutch, and French , among!! which number I was one. At theclofe of the entertainment, the prince drew out this pearl from a little purfe, which heWore fufpended from his neck, and fhewed it to the Khan and all the company. TheKhan would have bought it, to prefent to the King of Perfia, and offered as far as twothoufand tomins, but the prince would not fell it, fince which I croffed the fea inCompany with a Banian merchant, fent by the Great Mogul to this prince, with an offer°f forty thoufand crowns for his pearl, but which he alfo refufed. This ftory IhewsUs that with refpect to jewels, thofe which are very fine, Ihould not always be broughtto Europe, but rather, as I have before noticed, carried from Europe to Afia, wherethey highly value thofe jewels and pearls, which are of extraordinary beauty, with theexception of the Chinefe and Japanefe, who fet no efteem upon them..

Another place in the Eaft remarkable for a pearl filhery is in the fea which walhes aar ge town called Manar in the illand of Ceylon . Thefe are the finell with refpedt toWater and roundnefs of all the other filheries, but they rarely find any that weightoore than three or four carats.

Alfo on the coalt of Japan there are large pearls, and of fine water, but very rough,? 0 Wever they never filh for them, becaufe, as I have already obferved, the Japanefe“old jewels in no ellimation.

Notwithftanding the pearls found at Bahren and Catifa approach a little upon theye Jow, they are yet, as I have already remarked, in as much efteem as thofe of Manar,

“ throughout all the Eaft they fay they are ripe, and never change their colour,t now come to the weftern filheries, which are all in the great gulf of Mexico , ex-W'eft alon S t ^ e coa -ft °f New Spain, where there are five, ftretching from eaft to

The firft is along the illand of Cubagua , which is not more than three leagues inj cait ’ and about five diftant from Terra Firma. It is placed at ten degrees and a halfe northern latitude, and is about one hundred and fixty leagues from St. Do-£°j in the illand of Hifpanolia.. The land is here quite barren, and deftitute of

every