San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1893-03-04
THE LUCK OF "A PEARL FISHER.
Overheard in the Night to Escape
aBrutaI Skipper and Now
the Owner of Vessels.
from the San Francisco Chroniclel

J
pearl fisher mailing from Thursday
Island, is at present in this city on
his way back to his sea-girt home
ON the other side of the Pacific.
Seen at the Russ house yesterday
afternoon Mr.. Holloway gave some
highly interestingsfacts relative to
his dangerous but occasionally
highly lucrative occupation.
II scarcely know what made me
take to fishing up oyster shells as
profession" he said, but 1 sup
pose it presented opportunities for
adventure and excitement which
fascinated me. Twenty-three years
ago l was an apprentice on board an
English ship trading in the Polyne-
sian archipelago, and used to envy
the pearlers and interisland traders
their free and careless life among
the beautiful tropical islands. AS
is often the case, l had a 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 day
break.
"I'spent two years on this little
vessel and saved what / earned,
and having by that time what l
thought sufficient experience I
started in a small way for myself,
pearling and trading in 'beche de
mer' with the natives. Sometimes
we had trouble with savages, but
taken all through, the risks in
Cured were we'll compensated for
by the large profits in the trade.
In 1875 l became the owner of
a fine lugger, and l employed eight
divers, all Kanakas, who use no
diving apparatus whateverHS and
can remain under water for several
minutes at a time. This season l
was operating in the bay of Carpen-
taria and was extremely fortunate
iii getting pearls, although l lost
three of my men by sharks. These
men take great risks, seeming to
have no fear of the swarms of sharks
that infest the water The divers
have a large stone attached by a
cord to the boat With this weight
i'll their hands they dive overheard
and sink rapidly to the bottom.
Then grading all the shells within
reach they fill the network bag
hung around their necks and come
to the surface with their cargo"
"What percentage of the shells
contain pcarls3' asked the reporter.
"Well there is no rule explain
ed Mr.. Holloway. "Sometimes we
don't get decent pearl in a boat
load, and again we may make a
rich haul in a handful of them.
The small opaque pearl is common
enough, and of really little value.
One good big pearl is worth a pail
full of them.
After fishing on the coast of
West Australia for a couple of
years | tried the New Guinea fish
cries. Here l was very successful,
and in 10 | settled down at Thurs
day Island, determined to make
that ny headquarters while my
boats went in different directions.
BY this time | had three large
Dearling vessels and employed
bout fifty men. At the present
time l run eleven boats and pay
about 100 men. OF cource, all the
vessels are not equally successful,
some of them often running me
into loss for the year.
pearls are now very fashionable
i'll Europe, and there is a great de-
mand for the best sorts. | have
been to Vienna, Paris and London,
where I have disposed of some ex-
traordinary good specimens at
prices which | have not received
for years previously. l do most of
my business with Amsterdam, and
I have it on authority of my agents
there that three of the finest pearls
in necklace worn by the Princess
/ of Wales are from my fisheries. "