(seq. 347)

East Florida

in the Kingdom of Mexico) reported, that the Indians of Florida
understood the Pearl Fishery and wore them about their Necks and
Arms. The Gulf of Mexico was in them days settled all round
by several Indian Nations. This Gulf Cays with the Persian
Gulf in the same climatic Zona, viz in the IIII Climate on the
North side of the AEquator. It is well known, that the Pearl fishery
is one of the great Treasures of Persia; as besides the Climate these
two Gulfs resemble each other also in the Situation viz a Sea to the
East and South and Land to the North and West. I cannot help
concluding, that they must be equal each other in the Production of
Pearls, and easily give Credit to Garcilasso's account, that the
Florida Indians wore, and possessed great Treasures of Pearls,
altho' the Modern Indians, living only upon fresh Rivers and
far off from the Sea, grind the purple or blue Spot out of the Oysters
in round Shapes, and wear them; such Beads they esteem of the
greatest Value, and call them Wampum. These Indians have after
so many Generations entirely lsot the Knowledge of Pearls. I
should not be so apt to draw, with so much assurance a Reference
from the Gulf of Persia, had I not another plausible Instance be=
=fore me vix the Island of Ceylon in the East INdies, and the
Kings or Galeres Islands in the Bay of Panama have one
Zona (viz the second CLimate on the North side of the AEquator,)
common, as also a rich pearl Fishery; the Pearls of Ceylon are
reckoned the best, because those from Panama are never exported,
except a few indifferent Ones; for the good Pearls fished at Panama
find near and good Markets at Quito, LIma, Cusco and Laplata,
in Peru and St Jago and La Coneception in Cili, where they are
sold at a higher Rate, than the Price they would be valued in Europe;
for the Ladies in those parts prefer Pearls before Diamonds, and
other previous Stones. The finest Pearls are found in Places
where no River or Rivers (be they fresh or salt,) are near; for
they wash at times of freshes, the Mud from the Main into the Sea
in great Clouds, and froce a Passage to the very Bottom of the Sea,0
where the River Mud mixes with that fine Mud, on which the
Pearl Oysters and Muscles feed; altho' they use to grow fat, feeding
upon that Mixture, yet their Slime becomes unclean, which they
perspire, and with which they incrustate by degrees both the inside
of the Pearl Mother, and the Pearl itself, which originally was a
small