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Show PEARL FISHING IN SCOTLAND 3ems of Considerable Value Have Been Found In the Rivers of That Country. ; It. Is a common belief that pearl ttysters are found only in ocean beds, a.nd perhaps it may be a surprise to some to learn that pearl fishing is extensively ex-tensively carried on in several Scottish Scot-tish rivers and if the pearls there found are not quite so fine as those got from the ocean, they are in considerable con-siderable demand and can command good prices. On the River Tay, 40 miles from its mouth, quite a small trade is done in fresh water pearls, and there the method of procedure Is as follows: The fisher having armed himself with a long bamboo pole split at one end, and a contrivance very like a tin pail with a glass bottom, embarks in his boat (sometimes only a. large -wooden box) and sculls out onto on-to the stream, which at this point runs very slowly and is of considerable depth. Letting down his "pail" a few Inches into the water so that he can clearly see through the glass bottom the objects on the bed of the river, he sculls along until he comes to a clump 3f oysters (which grow with the sharp sdge upward), and letting down hia long pole he secures one of them in the cleft and lifts it into the boat. A.fter having procured a score or two he opens every shell with his knife ind examines carefully the inner edge. The gems, however, are difficult diffi-cult to get, often several dozen oysters oys-ters being opened before one is found. s much as 30 pounds has been got 'or one of the fresh-water pearls. i Wide World Magazine |