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In spite of the invention of steam-vessels, and of their future employment in war, I fancy that England, while she will excel in sailing and fighting those vessels, as she has excelled with all other vessels, will still rest a great part of her naval glory upon the use of sailing ships of war; such as this ship of the line. Here is another

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picture of a British FRIGATE, or lighter armed ship, carrying from twenty up to sixty guns.

At present, instead of using steam-batteries, bombs are thrown (that is hollow balls of cast

iron filled with combustibles) from mortars fixed in bomb-ketches, or small vessels built for that

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purpose, and strengthened with large beams. Look at the above picture of a BOMB-KETCH.

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CHAP. XLVIII.

PARLEY TELLS ABOUT PEARLS AND THE PEARL FISHERIES.

I WILL now leave the subject of ships, and tell you of something else.

I suppose you have all seen pearls. They are beautiful little, white, shining balls, some of them as big as a pea, and some not bigger than mustard-seed. They are used for various ornaments, and the ladies admire them very much. Sometimes they are set in earrings, necklaces, and other things of the kind.

Now, where do you think these pearls are found? They are found withinside the shells of oysters and muscles. I do not mean such oysters as you commonly see, but a larger kind, hence denominated the pearl-oyster and pearl

What are pearls?

Where do they grow?

What are they used for?

muscle. Some of these pearls are very costly. The little ones are worth but a few pence apiece. But there are some pearls so large and beautiful as to sell for very many pounds.

Now, these things, which we prize so highly, grow in the inside of oyster and muscle shells, as I have told you. They are occasioned by some disease; and I suppose they are as troublesome to the fish that live in the shells, as warts and other excrescences to mankind.

When they grow very large, the fish vomit them out, and thus get rid of them.

What an odd thing that the fish should want to get rid of what we are so anxious to catch hold of!

Pearls are found in various countries. A good many are found in Scotland; some in Italy; some on the coast of Peru; some in the Red Sea; some on the eastern coast of Africa, and

What is the nature of pearls? Where are the pearls found?

in various parts of Asia. But the most costly pearls are found in Japan and Ceylon. It is from the latter country that most of the fine pearls are brought.

The manner of taking pearls is very curious. The pearl-oysters are about as large as a middling-sized plate. They live in deep water, and attach themselves to the rocks along the shore, so that they may not be carried away by the tide. Like other oysters, they can move about a little; but they generally stick to one spot for a long time.

About the month of February, in each year, the pearl-fishers resort to some place where it is known there are plenty of these oysters. Sometimes two hundred and fifty boats are to be seen engaged, at one time, at one of these fishing

Where are finest pearls found? live? What can you tell about them?

Where do the pearl-oysters

How many boats are sometimes to be seen at a time, at one of the pearl-fisheries?

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