OCR Text |
Show 344 APPENDIX. pine-apple, and other tropical fruits, were also planted, and yielded abundant crops. These articles are. still cultivated by the present inhabitants. They also rear, as of old, horses, black cattle, mules, goats, and a few hogs. But the gross amount of all these products, in a country where there is so little fruitful land, is very stnall ; and, in fact, the people, though not nun1erous, are unable, on those barren shores, to supply themselves at all times with the necessaries of life. " But there is, in the con~truction of the U niverse, a great cotnpensatory law, which, when one blessing is withheld, grants another in its stead. So here, while the land is desolate, the sea is stored with an incredible abundance and variety of fish. Only a few of thern can be named: the halibut, salmon, turbot, skate, pilchard, large oyster, thornback, mackerel, barbel, bonitos, soles, lobsters, crabs, sardines, cod, tunnies, anchovies, and pearloysters. These fish are all of the finest quality, and exceedingly numerous. In a word, the waters of Lower California are so rich, that, although the land be dreary, and, for the most part, a leafless waste, the country would be a valuable acquisition to any conunereial nation. The value of the pearloyster alone would authorise us to make this remarlc There are immense beds of these in the Gulf. These pearls of Lower California are considered of excellent water,· but their rather irreo·ular fio·ure 1-1 b somewhat reduces their value. The rnanner of ob-taining these pearls is not without. interest. The vessels employed in the fisheries are from fifteen to th~rty t~ns. b~rden. ~hey are usually fitted out by private Individuals. The Armador, or owner, commands them. Orews are shipped to work them, • LOWER CALIFORNIA. 845 and from forty to fifty Indians called B d. .[!. h ' usos, to r~~ lOr t e oyster. A stock of provisions and sp1nts, a small sum of money to ad vance th 1 d · 1 · . e peop e unng t 1e crutse, a hmited supply of c I b fi · t ffi · . a a oose . urn I ure, a su . Cient number of hammocks to sleep In, and a quantity of ballast, constitute nearly all th~ ~ar,go outward bound. T.hus ar~anged, they sail Into the Gulf; and having arrived at the oyster. banks, cast anchor and commence business. The divers are first called to duty. They plunO'e to the bottom in four or five fathom water diO' 1~ with s~arpened sticks as many oysters as they ar~ able,. nse to ~he surface, and deposit them in sacks hung to r~ceive them at the vessel's side. And thus they continue to do until the sacks are filled or the hours allotted to this part of the labour 'are ended. When the diving of the day is done, all come on board and place themselves in a circle arou~d th.e Armador, who divides what they have o?tained, In the following manner : two oysters for himself, the same number for the Busos or divers and one for the government. ' ' " This ~ivision having been concluded, they next proceed, Without moving from their places, to open the oysters which have fallen to the lot of the Ar .. mador. During this operation, the dignitary has to watch the Busos with the greatest scrutiny, to prevent them from swallowing the pearls with the oysters·; a trick which they perforn1 with so much dexterity, as almost to defy detection, and by means of which they often manage to secrete the most valuable pearls. The government portion is next opened with the san1e precautions, and taken into possession by the A rmador. And last of all, the Busos open theirs, and sell them to the Armador, |