Opaque Glass, Pearls

Liuli comes from several Arab countries.

The method followed in melting it is the same as that of China – by burning:

• oxide of lead
• nitrate of potash
• gypsum

To these materials the Arabs add southern borax which causes the glass to be elastic without being brittle and indifferent to temperature.

In this way, one can put in water for a long time without spoiling it. This makes it more valuable than the Chinese product.

33. Cat’s-eyes

“Mauirtsing” are small stones, of the size of the end of the thumb. They are brilliant, smooth, and transparent like the eyes of cat,

They come from Western India which has a river Tanshuikiang where several streams unite into one.

There, in the depths of the hills, pebbles are washed down by the heavy rains collect there.

The officials go there in small boats and dredge them out of the water. Round and brilliant specimens are called cat’s-eyes.

Some people say that they are the reflection of stars shining on the surface of the earth and hardened there by magic influence.

34. PEARLS

The chonchu or real pearls that come from Arabian islands are the best.

They also come from the two countries of Sinan and Kien-pi.

Pearls are even found in Kuang-si and Hu-pei, but less brilliant than those of the Arabs and Kien-pi.

30-40 boats are used to fish pearls, with each both with several dozens of men in each boat.

Pearl-fishers:

• tie ropes around their bodies
• have their noses and ears plugged with yellow wax
• descend 200-300 feet or more
• are pulled up by shaking the rope

The moment he comes out, a soft quilt made as hot as possible in boiling water and thrown at him to prevent him from getting a fit of ague and dying.

The divers can be hurt by huge fishes, dragons, and other sea monsters and have their stomachs ripped open or their limbs broken by collision with their dorsal fins.

When the people on the ship notice even as much as a drop of blood on the surface of the water, this is a sign that the diver has been swallowed by a fish.

There have been cases where the pearl-fisher has been brought up with his feet bitten off by a monster.

The pearl’s-mother is controlled by foreign officials.

As a general rule, a pearl is valuable if it is perfectly round. The test for absolute roundness is for it to be put on a plate without it stopping from rolling.

Foreign traders entering China frequently conceal pearls in the lining of their clothes and in the handles of their umbrellas to evade the duties leviable on them.

35. Choku

The Choku comes from North Vietnam. It looks like a large cockle shell. The people on the coast grind the shell, creating “lotus-leaf cups” due to its scolloped surface.

Its surface is smooth and clean, like that of a cowrie shell.

The lower part of the calyx of the largest specimens is turned into cups of up to 3 inches in thickness. The remnants and chips can be used for making rings, trinkets, and other trifles.

According to the Buddhist books this substance was a very valuable jewel.

Nowadays it is only an ordinary sea delicacy. We do not know if it is identical to the ancient Choku.