The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-11-06
EXPERT DIVERS.

There are doubtless many of my
young readers who consider themselves
expert swimmers and divers, but l won
der ii any of them can equal the men
and women that surround the steamers
in many Oriental ports, in the hope of
earning little money by the display d:
their skill and activity.
NV first experience with these divers
was in the harbor of Singapore. They
were all about the steamer to the num-
Der of a hundred or more, some in little
boats hewn from logs and just large
enough to hold one person. while 9th
ers were in boats containing all the way
from two TO q dozen. The smallest of
the boats was not more than foot wide.
and the occupant was crOuched on the
bottom of it i'll a very uncomfortable po-
sition; the slightest leaning to one side
or the other was sure to upset him, and
he took advantage of this fact when it
came his turn to dive. If a coin were
thrown so that it fell near him, he in
stantly doubled and leaned over the
side; the boat turned and dropped him
out, and away he went into the water
and out of sight. The divers from the
larger boats sprang over the side and
went down with the rapidity of fishes;
some of tt EN- aid not return to their
boats after their first dive, but remained
swimming or floating about until ready
TO 90 under again.
The water was about thirty feet deep,
and so transparent that the bottom
could be seen with ease. Nine times
out of ten the coins were caught before
they had gone a dozen feet below the
surface; the only way we could manage
TO have the divers 60 deeply was to pre-
terd to throw the money in one direc-
ton and then toss it the other way,
thus giving it n good start. Even then
they would generally Sc re the prize
while it was on its way, and, having
done so, would come 10 the surface al
most as rapidly as they went down.
Most of them had assistants to whom
they deliveyed the money, but those
who were working entirely by them
selves carried the money in their mouths
until they could fng them into the
boats.
One of the officers of the steamship
said that the rivalry of the divers was
all pretense to make the most they
could out OF the strangers, as they were
really associated in guild or company
and whatever the result of the days
work might be it would be equally
divided at the end. They were GER
tainly well paid, according to the ORR
entail notions, as most OF the passengers
emptied their pockets of small coins in
order to encourage the sport. Six
pences and smaller silver co rs were in
great demand, and some of the passen-
gers threw out an occasional shilling.
Every copper coin that could be found
was thrown overheard, particularly I'M
current ones from Japan and China, but
the divers make no distinction. Some
times they refuse to dive for copper
money. under the pretense that they
can not see it in the water; they will |
touch nothing but silver, and travellers |
may tempt them il vain with the baser |
currency. After the steamer has gone, |
they proceed to gather up all the copper
that has been thrown ont, and, by this |
shrewd device their gains are largely |
increased.
All the divers were young, the oldest |
being No: more than twenty-five years !