. Pearls and pearling . rotect the mussel beds from the strong currents,and, as the water is rather shallow just below them, it iswarmer and large numbers of parasites thrive and affectthe mussels. The deeper water just a little below suchplaces is one of the best places to look for fine pearls. Many fine pearls have been found in locations wherethe river bed often contains deposits of blue mud. While the places that have been described are the onesmost likely to yield pearls, they are also found in otherplaces which do not appear to be so favorable. Where beds are located near steamboat landi
. Pearls and pearling . rotect the mussel beds from the strong currents,and, as the water is rather shallow just below them, it iswarmer and large numbers of parasites thrive and affectthe mussels. The deeper water just a little below suchplaces is one of the best places to look for fine pearls. Many fine pearls have been found in locations wherethe river bed often contains deposits of blue mud. While the places that have been described are the onesmost likely to yield pearls, they are also found in otherplaces which do not appear to be so favorable. Where beds are located near steamboat landings, occa-sionally shells can be found that have been injured bythe steamboats, and these shells sometimes contain slugsand baroques, and in rare cases pearls have been foundin them. The importance of the steamboat landing, how-ever, has been greatly overestimated. In prospecting for pearls, it is very important to markevery new place that is especially favorable. At anyparticular spot where an unusually large number of. 106 Pearls and Pearling shells have been taken, or where a pearl has been found,or when, for other reasons it is desirable to return to thevery same location, it is necessary to use some reliableplan which will help to find the place again. Water isvery deceptive, and it is impossible to estimate the dis-tance between various objects or the distance from theshore. If the pearl hunter is in a boat, as is usually the case,he should anchor the boat immediately before it is movedby the river current or the wind. He will then have timeto note his position carefully and the best plan for mark-ing such a place is illustrated in Fig. 26. This is a view ofthe Illinois River, near Bedford, and shows a system ofmarking a certain location by getting trees and other ob-jects on the shore in alignment. By a careful study ofthe illustration, the amateur will understand this veryeffective system of locating mussel beds. It is a goodplan to carry a small note-book and a pencil
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookidpearlspearli, bookyear1913
