Southern Cross.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13679, 22 August 1908, Page 2 (Supplement)

Southern Cross.

[ 1 PEA TIL OF GREAT TRICE. I There has recently been added to the WfGtern Australian Court- :it tiift FrancoBritish Exhibition "the famous " Southern C'rces" pearl. It is really a group of nine pearls united to each other in tii-s form of a perfect £lo,ooo. and as there are gold specimens in the same court valued',at £20,000.- it: has been deemed advifiable to have police protection both day anil night for 1 hess exhibits. The " Sont hern Cross " pearl • cor.6wis of nine pearls of which seven form the longitudinal line and two the. lateral - line—one on each side. The peaiis, which are are of the size and shape of manawfas pens, are firmly united to one another by their lateral (surfaces. So perfect- is the crnsslike formation that its genuineness was at

one time suspected,".but, since it- has b=eri brought to-London it-has- been .subjected ■(o ■■« ;most crii ical examination by .Experts to discover whether or not- it. was the product icu .0f..-artificial combination. The genr however, withstood the severest tests, and--is'-pronounced-on ths highest, scientific lealimoiiv to-be--: bona-fi.de.'

Tli!> pearl was found off Ihc coast of West Australia hv a native. Manilla, .in the course cf his ordinary diver's work. He; w.-tfi a.' convcr. of he Roman Olihoiied He--was' a convert" of' the Roman Catholic Mission- in Manilla*- aurl- when,' on opening the shell, he found this remarkable presentment of ihe IMy ..Cross, ho, in his religious fervour, iiitrepre ; ied if. as something of -Divine origin. Regarding it as sacred. hg<-liid it for some, five or six months, in.thevhope of finding .'oni.tj means ■of conveying it to his Holiiifrsr, flip Rope. Eventually, however, the-- story of i'ls discovery became known, it was unearthed from its hiding-place, and purchased by a 'syndicate-. ■ .

. It. subsequently, parsed into (lie po'ssrsfjioii cf■ Mr. Pole Rennett, largely intovrsl:ecl in Western Australian,affta-irs, who has len(i-it- ,-t-p.'ihe Hon. 0. H. R.ison, AgenrGenennT. for .Western-'-Australia, for -thepurpose of exhibition in the Australian Palace at Shepherd's Rush.