The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1872-04-06

others in the qdickness of his move.
ments, aud the agility aud power of en-.
durance displayed are something extra.
ordinary.
As a rule, pearl fishermen do not de.
scend to banks lying ut greater depth
than five to eight iathoms but practic
ed hands will sometimes venture con.
Sderably deeper, iu hopes of meeting
with richer booty. Ia addition to the
danger to which the enormous pressure
OF the water exposes the diver, he has
u second peril to encounter 10 the form
OF shurks, and the mOnotony of his oc
cupation is occasionally varied 10 a
manner great deal more sensational
than agreeable, When the sky is clear
aud the water tranquil, these formidable
monsters eau be seen afar OF, When,
on the other hand, the weather is clou.
dy, the diver does not uotcl their ap
proach until they are SO near as to give
him but little chsac, of escape. Iu.
stead Of descending 20 the depth aud
making straight Tor his mau, the ''hyena
Of the sea" shoots rapidly forward to
near the place where he inagiues the
diver will rise, and there lies 10 wait a
little below the sarlace. This strltegetic
movement GU the part OF the willy ani
NAL, though often, is not always success
full Ii the diver have sufficient pre-
sence OF MUD, he may still manage to
elude his euemy by lyiag down fat ou
the ground aud throwing up haudfulls
OF mad. The ascending columns IF
thick disculored water will generally
drive the shark away.
There is, however, smother fish, cal
led "lupou," Shich the divers dread
perhaps still worse tdsa the shark. 1t
is not more than sir or eight inches iu
length, aud beloags TO the Acanthop
terygli, or prickly 6uned division OF
fishes. Besides the prickles on its fms.
It has two others, exceedingly sharp
pointed cGes, projecting horizontally
near its mouth. The latter are pruba
bly, cOnuected-as is the case with the
teeth ot certain serpents with u gland
which secretes poisonous fOrmic acid
The diver is brought in coutact with
the luPoH "a clearing away the submIr
ine plants that cO'sr tho pearl fish
banks, aud he generally 6nds the animal
is not To be disturbed with impunity
The plucky little 6.h boldly seizes hold
oi auy distarber, aud, it unable to kill
him outright, Wounds him with the
poisoned prlckles The paiu thus pro
duced is most acute, aud ielt ia every
part OF the body. Burnt sugar allowed
to drop on the wound is the antidote
usually resorted to; but to be efficient
it must be applied immediately Ifnot
ut hand, recourse is had to cauteriza
tion with red hot coal or tiudcr. The
pain lasts ia any ordinary way forty.
eight hours, and is accompanied BY
viUlent fever
10 addition to the above named there
are hurtiu fishes, such as the ray, cut
tie fish, ceutro fish, &c but these the
diver treats with contempt, knowing he
can keep them at arms length.
As soon as the sun appears few de
grees westward Of the zenith, the fish.
ermeu, laden with shells, steer for the
place OF eucampment, aud shortly after
their arrival commences the financial
settlement or division of property
Each man deposits his days yield in
front OF the contractors tent, aud the
heap OF shells having been separated by
hand into two as nearly equal portions
as possible, one half fail to the share OF
the diver, the other to that OF the mast
er. On the shells being opened. all the
pearls found in the employers half be
come his property, subject, however, to
payment OF so much per pearl TO the
diver as previously agreed upon. Ou
the other hand, the pearls found iu the
uiVer halt belong exclusively to the
di'er' gu tue Que condition, that he
uoes no. a'tempt 10 sell them to anyone
un'' 'ns patron or "gubernor, as
he Is cai'ed' mas had the hrst refusal.
This condition is most vigorously in
sisted on, and during the dealings be
tween master aud diver, which imne.
diately succeed the division Of pearls.
no OF er purchaser or p.rsou at all nc
quiinted with tho value of pearls is
allowed to enter the tent. The diver
has no idea of the value of the gems
aud the business transactions with his
capitalist employer are characterized bv
trickery aud chicanery OF every kind.
As natural consequences. disputes mr..
of constant occurrence, aud to settle the
latter amicably the muoicipal autbori
ties of the coast towns and yillaye. nm
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