Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1886-09-05

Each vel equipped vessel h supplied
With the necessary apparatus and pro-
tesalauai divers, says e writer IN the
Neu York Sas. descrihinR The pearl
fisheries Of Ihursday Island, Qaeens-
land. The apparatus - The best and
most complete that can Be proeared.
and the divers Who uso it are anaar
contract for three years a& a waQs Of
from s. % IS day and an interest ID
The catch Each diver has four tend
ers. Nhose pay is from SO 20 SO per
month, and who are esneEaily natives
OF Chinese.
The method Of fishing Is fer several
vessels 90 90 out together and hsh on
The same eronnd for q fortnight.
Reaching q placo where the water =
forty or fifty feet ds1p the diver enters
bis boat, nndresses and jumps oves-
board Upon reaching the bottom he
lelsorely walks along until be comes %
bed Of shells, where be- proceeds %
fili the sack that be carries. Aa seen as
be has q sackful be signals and the
sack ia lifted up empfied and senl
down again. The diver remains under
the water for hours. somstimes from 3
O'Clock IN The morning until 5 ID she
afternoon The shells, as they lie a
bed, AFe wide open, and IN tauahed I'M
the wrong gay the divers hand = apt
20 Be caught and held fast aa il q viss.
while the native islander can nsh
only for q limited season. she 1fpers
using apparatus can ish uil the year
ruund, exoept IN very rough weather
and during tha severe monseona. me
average catch for each vessel d ahaut
earas - -
the fisheries Of geylon and fhe Persian
Galf. there Y little difficulty IN Femov-
ing The shell, which lies ioosa on the
ground and can be picked up readily.
These fisheries pfoduas the true pearl
oyster, for the shell of which there is
great demand both IN Europs snd
America. II is specially prixsd foF the
ehoice tplaid cabinet work that comes
from artistic hands. bat is used pFinei-
paily for knife handles, battona and Or
namental work.
Each day when & beats run into The
stations The men open the oysters, take
out the pearls Il fhsre are any, aud
throw she hsh overheard. The shells.
accurately coanfed, are cisaned and
paoked in Gases Of about 800 pouBds
each. Ihe fishermen think mere Of OBJ
tanning shell than pearls, while the
islanders care nothinR for shell and
solely seek the pearls. The best psarls
are found when the oyster IL four years
old, and the shell at that age is also 81
its best. TIE pearl Of an oyster of this
age is excesdinRiy transparent and puEc,
while thai Of q younQ oyster 10 of q yel-
loWish color. Rnd that Of the older 0f 4
pinkish hue. Sometimes if Is found of
al coloFs, sueh a. white. silver, bFosn,
steel RrAy, blue and even a peFfeei Jet
black. several apecimana have been
found as large e. haEslnuf, and some
oysters are canQht whieh are allied wiGh
as many as 100 small poarlsttes, ths
''seed peari7 % the artist. Isast year
there vas found 81 Nickel Bay q mzss
Of oystefs 10 the form uf q GROSS. each
o1ntsiuina q peafi of about tbo sixs of
q pea and without daw of form o. onior.
In 1874 q vanturesome seaman ahippFd
two poands of steii, tie arst ever ex
ported. In 1875 The quantity had %
creased b I've tons. In 1889 % SO toas.
and az pFesent Is is scarcely less than
100 tons. Ihe priss is regulated by The
marksts of Europe and America. Il has
varied from $50 70 $50 ton Of late
and is regarded as 90 lew aa to aHord
o1ly q mere margin Of pro1t after pay-
inR the cost Of freight, insaFance. etc.
Large ahipmenfs are sent 10 AmeFio4.
one suah bringing reeently Ne auction
price u tifo2 = tnn. The Eadora, TIE
asie AmeFsaaa boaA ia doing vel. as ne
captain says. The sailors are Masaa-
chasstts iads With Yankse IDEAS. aason-
isAinG The islanders b. produsing q tinY
China doll, prsFiousiy aufEepfitl01slg
inserted tn8o 40 oyster and now f0nnd
70 be pearl ooatsd. "A jolly trisk, (" they
say, and made more jolly from the fact
fhat the falsihad pearl VII b readily
traded with ths blacks for qema wogfh
onu handred tines mora.