Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-06-01
WITH A PEARL FLEET.
The Strange Fishermen Who Work
in Stormy Torres Strait.
DIVING IN TEN FATHOMS OF WATER
Foes In the Giant Tridachna and the Huge
Man-Eating Shark.
HOW THE BEAUTIES ARE OBTAINED
WRITTEN FOR THE pisrATcH.l

| tween Australla anu new Gulnea. Iht
strait is narrow to receive the waters of g
great ocean; it is shallow as well anG
crowded with hedges OF Jagged coral.
Studded with dangers though it be, Tore.
strait is yet crowded with a varied sort of
vessels, in almost every month of the year
except when the monsoon RACES. Hither
flock schooners and ketches from the Aus
tralian ports, clumsy galiots from the Dutch
ports of Java as far as Batavia, slen der
prshus of the Malays from the islands Of
the archipelago, junks, with staring eyes,
equipped by the Cinnamon of the distant
Philippines. Careless of the danger they
cruise about the strait and come to anchor
side by side, all led by the common thirst
for gain, for down among the dangers of
the reef lie pearls to reward the diver.
They fish in company and load their YES
parts to seek lonely island spot where he
may spread the oysters out to die and yield
their treasures. The Australian fleet makes
use of a chain of sandy islands lying close
to the shore of Cape York; the most con-
siderable of them bear the names OF days of
the week and the largest of them all is known
the headquarters OF the trade. Away from
the sea that lies in sight of Thursday
Island there is no law save the one of might,
and the pirate makes the junks his prey with
none to hinder. Sometimes Malay crew
grown oyerconfdent by its successes on the
Manila fleets attacks some vessel of the
Dutch or Englishmen. As the news spreads
along the strait the vessels leave the fishery
and hunt the rascal, down and failing to find
the one who did the deed they fall upon
some other prahu and leave no man to be
tried for piracy, since justice is rough and
ready in the fishery.
THE PEARL OYSTER.
Torres strait is shallow it is filled with
extensive submarine sand and coral rock.
with q depth of water from three to ten
tathoms. 1t is on these flats that the pearl
oyster grows thickest, and here the diver
seeks his harvest. The oyster which bears
the pearl in its mantle or stuck to its shell
has little resemblance to the oyster Of food.
1t is often foot in length and half as much
in width; the shell is smoother and ar
thinner, and usually of dark red color.
They lie upon the sand, and partly hidden
beneath 1t, in close array, and the shells
usually open against the prevailing current.
Luckier than the beds of the edible OYSTER
these pearl oysters seem little troubled bv
destructive enemies; the stardsh does not
touch them and nothing attacks them except
q small marine worm, which bores through
their shells, and even this is not disad-
vantage, for the most experienced divers say
that worm-eaten shells generally yield the
largest and finest pearls.
The usual equipment of q vessel engaged
in the fishery comprises ten divers, who
serve as sailors as well, cook and two
officers. Six boats are carried, light
dingheys which single man can easily
manage. As soon as there is light enough
in the morning to see the course the vessel
leaves its "rotting ground" and makes its
way to the patch on which it is intended to
fish. The anchor is dropped and the divers
in pairs take boats and row little distance
from the vessel, usually cables length in
each direction, and the custom OF the fishery
prescribes that no diver shall fish between
the diver of another vessel and his ship
One dives, the other hauls up the pearls and
the diving stone. When the diver is ex-
hausted he takes the place in the boat and
his companion takes his turn in the water
Thus they work all day long without inter-
mission. for the diver may not venture to
eat until his days work is done for fear of
cramps in the water; days work is often
IL hours, divided between the water and the
broiling sun.
HOW THEY DIVE.
The diver makes'use of stone weighing 40
pounds, to which is attached a light cord,
fastened to the gunwale of his boat and hav-
ing loop for the feet at the lower end; a
cord is fastened to this loop to hold the
basket into which he gathers the oysters.
The diving stone is cast over the side and
hangs just deep enough for the diver to slip
his eet through the loop; he holds his
basket on his arm, and carries long knife |
in the belt. which is the only thing he wears. !
When all is in readiness his companion in !
the boat casts off the cord: the diver goes
straight to the bottom in TO- IL or Is fathoms
and opens his eyes in a dim green light, |
which gives yellow hue to every object on |
the bottom.
1t is peculiar experience to the novice |
making his first trip to the bottom; when |
the cord is suddenly cast off he feels q |
quick tug at his ankles, as though lank |
fingers coming out of the sea had seized him;
there is an instant OF quick falling, which |
sets his head awhirl, then he seems to float in |
the cool sea, he does not fall, the currents of |
water flow gently up to meet him, he touches
bottom with jar and gently sinks to his |
full length upon the sand. There is then
no thought OF being at the bottom of the sea;
with open eyes one seems to dream in
strange green stillness-stranger than any
light has ever been on earth, yet so COM
fortlng that there is no sense of strangeness
1t seems that hours 60 by with no thought OF
motion; the body slowly bends erect, while
one wonders what power moves it. as some
thing apart from himself Again comes that
feeling as of something clutching at the
ankles, the grasp grows stronger until it
seems almost to cut the flesh. The man in
kicks out his feet to struggle
free; the bottom falls. the man seems to
stand suspended in mid space, while all
things seem to whirl past MIN from void
above to green abyss below. He hears
splash, humming rings in his ears the
.oft green gloom has been driven out by a
binding glare; bewildered he floats upon
The sea and learns that he has been below
,ne minute and has seen no pearls nor
thought to look for any. Those who visit
he feet at work are seldom content to leave
without one trip to the bottom-they never
bring up single oyster.
ON THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA.
The diver, by his constant practice, soon
oses these sensations and acquires tamili-
lrity with the under sea. As .soon as he
inds himself upon the bottom he opens his
.yes and his full length. With practiced
land he sweeps the oysters into his basket
ind seldom fails to fill it in his time below.
W hen mis- basket is filled, or when he must
'ome to the surface, he stands erect, gives a
pull upon the cord as a signal to his mate;
bringing from the sand, he rises with out
tretched arms above his head and climbs
lpon the bow of his boat to rest and watch
lis companion haul the stone and basket to
he surface, and perhaps he speaks some
'oastul words of the number of oysters
which he gathered on that trip. When the
'asket has been emptied into the boat he
rats no longer, but goes again to the bot
ON. Thus be makes from 10 to 15 dives in |