'Collections of travels through Turky into Persia, and the East Indies. Giving an account of the present state of those countries, as also a full relation of the five years wars, between Aureng-Zebe and his brothers in their father's life time, about the succession. And a voyage made by the Great Mogul (Aureng-Zebe) with his Army from Dehli to Lahor, from Lahor to Bember, and from thence to the Kingdom of Kachemire, by the Mogols, call'd, the Paradise of the Indies. Together with a relation of the Kingdom of Japan and Tunkin, and of their particular manners and trade. To which is added a new description of the Grand Seignior's Seraglio, and also of all the Kingdoms that encompass the Euxine and Caspian Seas, being the travels of Monsieur TavernierBernier, and other great men.' [‎146] (465/1024)

146 Travels in I n d i a. ParclT
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The third Filhery is at Camogete y near the Continent. ~ *
The fourth at Rio de la Hacha, all along the fame Coalt.
The fifth and laft, at St. Marthas, fixty Leagues from Rio de U Hacha A11
thefe three Filheries produce very weighty Pearls ; but they are generally 'll
fhap’d, and of a water enclining to the colour of Lead. * 1 *
As for Scotch Pearl, and thofe that are found in the Rivers of Bavaria rh
a Neck-lace of them may be worth a thoufand Crowns, yet thev are u
compar’d with the Eaftern and W & Indian pearls. • /' . v
Some years fince there was a Fifhery.Jiftover’d in a- certain: plade upon
Coaft ofjapan, and I have feen fome whifh the Holism have brought thence
They are of a very good water, and large* but very uneven.
Take this Qbfervation along with ypui touching the difference of their wa
ters j fome being very whit^ others inclining to yellow, others to black ! *other^
to a leaden colour. As for the laft, there are no 4 fuch but only in America
which proceeds from the nature of the Earth at the bottom of the Water’
which is generally more ouzy than in theEaft. I once met with fix Pearls in
the return of a Cargo from the Weft Indies that were perfectly round, but black
like jet, which weigh’d one with another twelve Carats. I carried them into
the Eaft Indies to put them off, but could meet with bo Chapman to buy them
As for thofe that incline to yellow, it proceeds from hence, that the Fiihermen
felling the Oyfters to the Merchants in heaps, while they ftay fourteen or fif
teen days till the Oyfters lofe their water, the Oyfters waft and begin to fmell"
for which reafon the Pearl grows yellow by infedion, which appears to be a
truth, in regard that where the Oyfters preferve their liquor the Pearls are
white. Now the reafon why they ftay till the Oyfters open of themfelves is
becaufe that if they fhould force them open, they might perhaps injure and cut
the Pearl. In fhort, the Eaftern people are much of our humour in matter of
whitenefs, for they love the whiteft Pearls and the blackeft Diamonds • the
whiteft bread, and the faireft women. 5
^ CHAP. XVIII.
//aw the Pearls are hr eel in the Oyfiers ; how they Fijh for them,
and at what time.
S Ome ancient Writers have vulgarly reported, that Pearls are produc’d by the
Dew of Heaven, and that there is but one in an Oyfter } but experience
teaches the contrary. For the Oyfter never ftirs from the bottom of the Sea,
where the Dew can never come, which is many times twelve fathoms deep;
befides, that it is as often obferv’d, that there are fix or feven Pearls in one >
Oyfter; and I have had in my hands an Oyfter, wherein there were above ten
beginning to breed. 5 Tis very true, that they are not always of the fame big-
nefs ; for they grow in an Oyfter after the fame manner as Eggs in the Belly of
a Pallet. But I cannot fay there are Pearls in all, for you may open many Oyfters
and find none.
Tis no advantage to them that fifli for Pearls \ for if the poor people could
find any other employment, they would never ftick to fuchaone as meerly keeps
them alive. But the Land is fb barren, that you may travel twenty Leagues be
fore you meet with one blade of Grafs} and the people are fb miferably poor,that
they feed upon nothing but Dates and Salt-filh.
1 hey fifh in the Eaftern Seas twice a year; the firft time in March and April,
the fecond time in AnguTt and September 3 and they keep their Fairs in June
and November . However they do not filh every year 3 for they that fiih, will
know beforehand whether it will turn to account or no. Now to the end they
may not be deceiv d, they fend to the places where they are wont to fifiv
leven or eight Barks, who bring back each of them about a thoufand Oyfters,
y ‘v • s v , which