The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1900-05-16
QUEST on THE ELUsIvE PEARL
Particulars Given b. Two Noted
Divers from The south Sea
Islands.

| quantity OF air pumps diving suits
and like paraphernalia of the sch.
Opu and Taipu are their names. says
the New York Sun, and they are gen
orally regarded as stars in their peril
Gus line Of work. They were born on
one of the islands of the Dangerous
| Archipelago group. They speak good
English, however, and both are thor.
ougbly familiar with the civilization
Of West Australia, where they have
spent most Of their lives as pearl
hunters. Although these men do not
look unlike many South Sea islanders.
close view shows that they have
powerful chests, and they would
doubtless be taken for athletes, with
great powers of endurance. This
comes from the fact that they spent
their early years as naked divers, de-
veloping in that way an abnormal ex-
panse of lung area.
1--WE can remain under water with
out trouble for so or 90 seconds" said
Opu, "and it was the old free-hand
diving that expanded our lungs; but
diving suits and air pumps have done
away with the native method of div
ing for pearls. AS result we now
remain under for an hour or two at
a time, varying according to the depth
and pressure"
Taipu is the prihcipal native pearl
merchant of the many hundreds who
have embarked in the trade since the
natives of the Paumotu islands first
dabbled in that form of commerce.
He owns pearling dredger and a
ship; both are engaged in the trade
in southern waters. His ship, how
ever, is mere hulk that travels less
than 90 miles along the coast.
I'VE depend principally upon pearl
shells for our income," said he, 'sinee
to stake orr earnings on the pearls
alone would be to invite loss. Valud-
BILE pearls are not frequent enough tc
make it pay, but the commercial
mother-of-pearl is made from the
shells that we deal in. When it comes
to hunting for the real pearl there
is not any kind of scoop or dredgcr
that can take the place of mems eyes;
diving and treading the deep is the
only way to find valuable pearls As
a rule these are some distance apart,
scattered over the rocky bed Of ths
ocean. Sometimes a man will pick !
up quite a fortune in few weeks and
sometimes he win hardly make sx-
penses in season"
There is d great fascination in the
business and few pearl divers ever
give it up. They become so accus-
toned to walking around in subma-
rine places that they enjoy the coral
landscapes, the sea fans, the conches,
quaint grasses and strange blossoms
that abound in the silent gardens Of
the sea. But in spite Of the pleasures
and profits Of their business there has
been little improvement in the meth
DDS Of diving since the earliest days,
Safety appliances have done but little
to reduce the risk to human life.
Sharks do not bother u.s." said
Taipu, ''neither do swordfish; for
most anything except the devilfsh
will swim away from diver If he
loosens the sleeve of his coatsand let's
the air escape in bubbles We some
times get very much alarmed how
ever, by big turtles and sharks, though
they are usually quick to get away
from us. l once saw an enormous
shark hidden among some sea tangle
not ten feet from me; it was about
80 feet long, and it had evidently not
seen me, and when / first caught sight
of it there was no motion, save
trembling Of the fins In a twinkling
it heard me and gave quick sweep
OF its tail and was face to face with
me on the bed of the sea. For mo
ment could not move, but stood
looking into its vicious jaws, so large
that they could have snapped me in
two like bit of paper. Nearer and
nearer it came, as if about to seize
me. I could not stand the suspense
any longer, so l let some air escape
and the shark got out of the way
as fast as it could swim, stirring up
the mud and pebbles as it swan"
Pearling is still very profitable, for
the crude shells are sold at from $500
to $3.50 a ton, and there is always the
chance that a diver may make enough
in one day TO quit for life. I'VE do
not dive further than 60 to 100 feet"
said Opu, "for the pressure Is too
great. Even at these depths men can
not remain down over i've or ten min
- -. 80. 1tf. - 4ho foar.