The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1878-01-12
New Settlement in Torres Strait.

In this Strait, lying between Australia and New
Guinea, n new ettleme has been lately estab.
lished by the Premier Of Queensland In person,
the Hon. John Douglas, who has addressed u re-
port on the subject to His Exeellency the Cover
nor Of Queensland, from which wo publish the
following extract
After q careful examination Of the Prince of
Wales Group, extending over Il week, ! an able
to report iavorably Of the settlement at Thurs
day. As "A port OF call il may perhaps be not
quite so convenient as Somerset for the mail
steamers. Ellis Channel. the direct line from
Thursday Island TO Cape YORK, will not be used
by vessels drawing more than sixteen feet OF
water. 1t follows that the mail boats will come
mp through Normandy Sound. and will 40 out 10
sea again by the same route. From the entrance
at Goods island 10 ViVien Point II at least i've
miles, SO that thi. enVOlyes "A detOnr Of ten miles
for the purpose Of visiting the port. On the other
hand, the anchorage will / have no doubt, prove
to be much safer than that in the Albany Pass,
where the tide sweeps through with great velocity.
As a centre for the pearl shell fishery, Thursday
Island will, / am sure, be found TO be more con.
yenient, aud II IL prove TO be ~ healthy IA SOmer-
set has been, IL will soon attain to some impor-
lance, for the pearl she'll industry now appears 10
have a permanent character at least, ! gather
from the pearl shelters themselves that tho supply
Of she'll IL likely 10 be permanent, and that the
reef are reproductive. endeavored 10 stinu.
late the interest Of some OF these gentlemen Ina
observing the habits Of the pearl oyster, and
have authorised Mr.. Chester 10 expcnd a small
sum Of money In experimenting on their growth Ia
one Of the secluded bays near Thursday Island.
From Thursday Island 10 Honolulu the distance
is little more than from this port TO Auckland, and
there is a scheme on foot TO lay on u steamer
between this port and Thursday Island, 10 M 60
connect there with the steamers OF the Eastern |
and Australian Mail Steam Co., 10 Batavia and
Singapore. This line runs under contract with
the government Of Queensland, Al present the A
the route westward from Europe and North v
America TO India bifurcates at San Francisco, one 4
branch being the steamer route via Yokohama, y
and Hong Kong TO Singapore; the other being .
the steamer route via Sydney. Melbourne and
King Georges Sound TO Gale IN Ceylon. Both of f
those branch routes from San Francisco are very
much longer than a direct route via Honolulu and
Thursday Island ia Torres Strait. The Queensland
Premier hes as some people think IT. contemplation
some scheme Of this sort, aud the cnterprising
Agents Of the Company in question, Messrs
Bright, Brothers. are likely 20 accept any proposal
of this nature with alacrity.
II this government ever intends 10 lmport East q
Indian coolies about which there has been a good "A
deal Of talk here-the straight road Of the coolies III
from the East Indies TO these shores lies by Thurs VI
day Island, to which point they could be conveyed
by steamer from Batavia. Singapore. Gale aud .
Madras, and brought on from Thursday Island TO
Honolulu in a vessel chartered for that purpose.
The matter could be easily arranged with the
Eastern and Australian Mail Steam Co.'s Agents
at Sydney, Messrs. Bright Brothers, who, we think
would undertake all arrangements for the ship
ment OF the coolies II Madras, their transbipment
at Singapore and safe delivery at Thursday Island IVA
This government would require an agent at that
place, and a coolie depot for their conveyance
thence here, the best plan would be 10 purchase q
sailing vessel at the cost OF this government
Ultimately the entire voyage may be made by
steam, as we arc inclined 10 think that the Hon.
John DOuglas will carry ont the scheme OF a
steam line between Thursday Island and Honolulu,
in the course of this year, or next year, at forthest,
if it is ever TO be undertaken by the Queensland
government.