The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-10-24
Pearl Divers.

Thursday Island is one OF the most cn-
rious and interesting bits of land on the
globe. IL is the commercial centre OF a
race OF people who live practically in
the sea.
They are the pearl divers Of the Pacific
ocean.
Thursday Island is one OF the little
grnun- of coral formation Lying between
Australia and New Guinea. Taken to-
stitute n calendar. with an island for
every day OF the week. beginning with
Sunday Island. Thursday Island COM
mands Torres strait.
Representa- tives of nearly all the nations
Of the far East may be seen any day
along its shores. disporting themselves in
the water-Filipinos. japanese, Chinese
East Indians. Fiiians and Papuans. TO
the right OF the island. running 1900 miles
down the Australian coast. is stretch or
waving green vegetation, apparently
adoat upon the surface Of the placid
ocean.
This is the top OF the Great Barrier
reef. the most notable coral reef in the
world. Throughout It's lengh it's banks
are lined with pearl oysters.
Thursday Island forms the great market
for these oysters About $l.000,000 worth
OF shells are raised annually along the
reef and on the western coast OF Aus
tralia. The business of pearl fishing is
conducted on the basis of the profit from
the oyster shells.
The pearls are clear gain. the value
varying a great deal. One pearl found IN
1890 sold for $4,000. another for 5000
Pearls worth 800 are quite common.
The shells of pearl oysters are of enor-
nous size. measuring frequently eishteen
inches across. The oysters lie IN the sea
FASTENED TO rocks. especially coral rocks.
and quite away from sand ana dirt Ihey
hang by thread,like hlapents, about
The business OF the diver is to cut this
thread and bring up the oysters. The
shells are worth from $500 to $1,000 n ton
for the best, the poorest from $40 tn $500
The natives trade them for merchandise
and realize about $40 ton on the aver
age. -,
| gers Each boat has pumping apparatus
| 10 fotce air TO the divers under water.
The smallest boat. with apparatus, ~
worth 5000.
The business is very dangerous. Pol
sonous fish. sharks and squid abound.
| Sharks rarely attack divers but contrib
ute immensely to thelr % nerT2ushens 3lsii i,
otiid which dangerously clouds the water.
Japanese are the best divers, Ihey
| stay under water longer, dare more anu
| can be relied upon better thah any Oh the
Among the Malay natives women are
| successful divers. They go down without
diving suits. fastening stones 10 their rect
Natiyes and divers are not allowed to
| open the oysters. A careful watch is
| KENT 20 prevent the theft OF gems, under
| the eye OF an experienced foreman: A
/ good operator can open ton oi shtis IN
m lis sn~rosed that n grain of sand got
| ting underneath au oyster shell irritates
| the fish and causes Il 70 eXude carbon
ate of lime. which gradually coats the ob-
/ struction until pearl is formed.
| Attempts 20 obtain pearls artinclalF ny
1 Slipping sand or glass under oyster shels
| have been but partiallv successful
| The greatest pearl fisheries 9t the world
| are In the Indian ocean. Thc prpuuct
| there is but one-tenth the amount of for
4 mer years.--EXChange.