Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1893-03-08
LUCK 5F A PEARL FISHER.

Jaoe Driven Overheard by a Brutal skip
per. but Now "a Vessel Owner.
RoOert j. Holloway, who is a pearl
dsher hailing from Thursday Island,
was recently in San Francisco on his
way back to his sea-girL home on the
other side OF the Pacific. Mr.. HollO-
way gave Chronicle man some highly
interesting facts relative to his dan
gerous but occasionally highly lucra.
i've occupation.
Il seal cely know what made ME
take to fishing up oyster shells as a
profession" he SAID "but l suppose
it presented opportunities for advent
ure and excitement which fascinated
me. Twenty-threc years ago / was
an apprentice on board an English
ship trading in the Polynesian Archi-
pelago, and used TO envy the pearlers
and inter-iSland traders their free and
careless lite among the beautiful
tropical islands As is often the case,
had brutal skipper, and this helped
me to resolve to run away from the
vessel and throw in my lot with the
pearl fishers. One dark night when
we were at Batavia L dropped over
the side and went ashore. Here L had
no difficulty in getting employment
on one of the small luggers which was
to sail at daybreak. | spent two years
on this little vessel and saved what !
earned, and having by that time
what | thought sufficient experience,
l started in small way for myself.
pearling and trading in 'beche de
mer' with the natives. Sometimes
we had trouble with the savages; but,
taken all through the risks incurred
were well compensated for by the
large profits in the trade.
'In 1879 | had become the owner OF
1 fine iugger AMI / employed eight
divers. all kanakas, who used no div
ing apparatus whatever, and can re.
main under water for several minutes
at 4 time. This season l was operat.
ing in the bay of Carpentaria and
was extremely fortunate in getting
pearls, although l lost three of my
men by sharks. These meu take
great risks, seeming to have 70 feal
of the swarms Of sharks that lufeSI
the water. The divers have a largo
stone attached by cord to the boat.
With this weight in their hands they
dive overheard and sink rapidly t.
the bottom. Then grabbing all shells
within reach they fill the networb
bag hung around their necks anC
come to the surface with their cargo. D
what percentage of the shell;
contain pearls?" asked the reporter.
"Well, there is no rule" explained
Mr.. Holloway sometimes we don
get decent pearl in a boat load, anC
again we make a rich haul in :
handful Of them. The small Opaque
pearl is common enough and of reality
little value. One good big pearl i:
worth pailful of them. After fish
ng on the coast OF West Australia fol
a couple Of years l tried the New
Guinea fisheries. Here l was yeiy
successful, and in 80 | settled dOwr
at Thursday Island, determined to
make that my Headquarters while my
boats went in different directions BY
this time l had three large pearling
vessels and employed about fifty
men. At the present time | ruT
eleven boats and pay about a hun
dred men. OF course, all the vessel;
are not equally successful, some o
them often running me into loss fol
the year. Pearls are now very fash
iOnable in Europe, and there is a great
demand for the best sorts. ! have
just been to Vienna, Paris, and Lon
don, where L have disposed of some
extraordinarily good specimens n
prices which have not received fOl
years previously. l do most Of my
business with Amsterdam, and l have
IL on authority of my agents there
that three of the finest pearls in Z
necklace worn by the Princess O.
Wales are from my fisheries"