In Thomas Hariot's "Briefe and True Report of the New Found Land of Virginia," (1590 ed) there is this passage under the category of "Marchantable Commodities": "Pearle. Sometimes in feeding on muscles we found some pearle; but it was our hap to meet with ragges, or of a pide colour; not having yet discovered those places where wee hearde of better and more plentie. One of our companie; a man of skill in such matters, had gathered together from among the savage people about five thousande: of which number he chose so many as made a fayre chaine, which for their likenesse and uniformitie in roundnesse, orientnesse, and pidenesse of many excellent colours, with equalitie in greatnesse, were very fayre and rare; and had therfore been presented to her majesty, had we not by casualtie and trough extremity of a storme, lost them with many things els in comming away from the countrey." Best, David Kiracofe David Kiracofe History Tidewater Community College Chesapeake Campus 1428 Cedar Road Chesapeake, Virginia 23322 757-822-5136 To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html