The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-08-04
AMONG THE PEARL DIVERS.

great rings or coral walls eucirclng la
gcons. now in long ridges ana now In gar
dens aud beds Of most beautiful red, white
and pink flowers Of coral. Such wall
is the Great Barrier reef which extends
along the whole eastern coast Of Australia
from Torres strait sonthward for more
than 1900 niles AT RockhamptOn, sew
eral hundred miles above Brisbane. the
reef Is a hundred miles from the coast.
but as a general thing the distance he
tween II and the shore varies between
i've and hftecn miles, ana 1t was within
this channel TINT our steamer, guided by
its. pilot, plowed Its way.
At times we were close to the Australlas
shore, cohstug dry and thirsty land, Az
dreary as the arid plateaus OF the Rockies,
and again we More moving along by these
great rings OF coral which noated, as IL
were, on the face Of the green sen. some
of the atclls had vegetation upon them
the round basins being circed with cocoa,
nut trees, while Others We're bare rock, to
be seen only CT low ude.
The mir was wonderfully clenr and the
SKY 4 heavenly blue With few clouds In
", which made grent patches Of dark blue
velvet on the dreary gray OF the noun.
taihs Of the mainland The water was ~
smooth as a mill pond. We were steam
ing as II were. through a great canal, one
wall Of which was the rocks Of the cont
nent OF Australia and the uther that built
M by the countless millions of the coral
polyps The coral was In sight much Of
the way TO Thursday island, aud It gave
us some Idea of the enormous coral forma
ton OF this part OF the globe.
Where the Pearl Shells Lie.
II is In tho coral Islands and the lagoons
that the best pearl shells are found The
oysters which produce these shells are not
ike our oysters, They grow 10 an enor,
nous size, and the shells are often as big
as a tin wash basin. Sometimes they are
eighteen inches from one side 10 the other.
single pair OF shells spread out measur
ing yard In diameter. Until recently
II IA,
ca winch was under SIX Inches in diane
yer, ana az present the average weight Of
a par Of shells Ia about two pounds
The shells lie In the bottom of the sea-
aud they are also fastened 10 the rocks
especially TO the coral rocks. oysters do
n no IKE sand or dirt and they win not
about. within toe past few years an at
Tempt has been made TO raise them artih-
cialiy IN a cove In Friday island, but IL
has not succeeded. The oysters seem TO
IKE the coral formations. Where they
hasten themselves ia such rocks they grow
20 great Size. There are many cavcrns IN
% the roofs Of these submarine caves, a
uolen Joining themselves together and
hhanging, as II We're by one set Of threads
I Inc fastening by which they are held 10
| the rocks Is much like a tassel consisting
OF cartilage or muscle that extends ont
near the hinge Of the shell, aud then
| or which Clues Itself, MS it were TO the
rock The diver cuts the thread. aud thus
gets on the shells.
Millions in Shells.
M"7' OF the money In pearl hshing comes
from the oyster shell, not the pearl. hair
million dollars worth 81 shells arc tnken
49, ~ '"N'n
from Two ,hfhlng grounds OF NortnWestern
Australia annually. and the output from
| Thnrsday Island is even larger rhnra arc
1 ,', ~, " %,
| pear hshlng stamonS scattered about WITH,
/ IN hundred miles OF tnis polht ana 10y
noais anu lugsers are constantly engaged
Mnny tons OF shells are found IN others
OF the Soutl Sea Islands. The Tuamotu
worth Of them, having exported something
Ike 10000 tons OF shells 20 Europe, and