Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-07-31
PEARL DIvING's PERlLs.
Naked Natives Pursue q Dangerous
Calling for Small Gains.

deep water feats came out in a bearling
sloop with us one afternoon and gave
n fine exhibition. The bed over which
we halted was about ninety feet under
the surface. Our three divers stripped
to a 'pareo" apiece. and then squatting
down on the gunwaIe Of the boat with
their hands hanging over their knees, APP
peared to mediate. They were tax
ing their wind" the white steersman in
formed me. After about five minutes
of perfect stiffness they suddenly got up
and dived off the thwart. The rest of
us figeted up and down the tiny deck
talked, speculated and passed away the
time for what seemed an extraordinarily
long period No one. fortunately, had
brought a watch, but the traders and
schooner captains all agree in saying
that the Penrhyn diver can stay under
water for full three minutes. and it was
quite evident that our men were showing
off for the benefit of that almost I'M
known bird the ''wahine papa" At last
one after another, the dark heads popped
up again, and the divers, each carrying
Shell or two, swan back to the boat
got on board and presented their catch
10 me with the ease. grace and hight bred
courtesy that are the birthright of all
Pacific islanders-not at all embarrassed
by the fact that all the clothes they
wore would hardly have sufiiced to
make Sunday suit for an equal num-
Der of pigeons.
AS general rule, the divers carry has
ket5 and them before coming m.
Each man opens his own catch at once.
and hunts through the shells for pearls.
Usually he does not find any; now and
then he gels small gray pearl or a de-
cent white one or big irregular bar
oquc' pearl of the
once in month of Sundays he is re-
warded by large cleaning gem worth
several hundred pounds. for which he
will probably get 20 to 80 pounds.
Diving dresses are sometimes used in
Penrhyn. but in such an irregular and
risky manner that they are really more
dangerous than the ordinary method,
The suit is nothing but helmet and
Jumper. No boots are worn. no clothing
whatever on the legs. and there are no
weights to preserve the divers balance
1t sometimes happens-though wonder
fully seldom-that the diver trips, falls
and turns upside down, the heavy he'll
met keeping him head downward until
the air al rushes out under the jumper
and he is miserably suffocated The
air pump above is often carelcssly worked
In any case, and there is no recognized
system Oh signals except the jerks that
mean pull up
They're the most reckless devils on
f11n 70 Of he !,
er. once let a man strike good bed
of shell. and he won't leave it, not for
Father Peter. He'll stick down there all
day. grabbing away in twenty fathoms
or more till he feels paralysis comm
on
"Paralysis?'
"Yes-they get it, lots of en-. If you
was to go down in twenty fathoms-they
can do five and twenty, but anything over
is touch and go-and stay 'alf the day.
you'd come up 'owling like anything, and
not able to move. That's the way it
catches them, and then they must get
some one to come and rub them with
sea water all night long. and maybe they
dies. and maybe they're all right by
morning So then down they goes
again, just the same as ever Some
times a man be pulld up dead at the
end of the day. How does that happen?
Well / allow it's because he's been work.
in at a big depth all day and feels all
right, and then do you see. he'll find
something bit extra below of him, in
holler like. and down he'll go after
it, and the extra fathom or two does the
trick.
Sharks? Well I've seen you poppin
at them from the deck of the Duchess,
you know as we'll as I do how many
there arc. Didn't it them. even when the
fin was up? That's because you 'aven't
creased your bullet. 1 suppose. You
want to. if the water isn't to turn it
aside. But. about the divers? Oh? They
don't mind sharks. none of them. when
they've got the dress on. Sharks is easy
scared. Iou'v only got to pull up your
jumpers a bit and the air bubbles out
and friGhtcns them to fits. If you meet
big stingray. I'LL run its spine into
the dress. SOS the water comes in, and
maybe it stick the diver too. And the
big devil fish is nasty: he'll hold you
down on a rock. but you can use your
knife on him. The kara mauaa is the
not as big as a shark, but he's down.
right wicked. and he's a mouth on him
as big as 'alf his body. If an onoo
comes along, ell bite an arm or leg off
of the man anyways and eat i'm out
right if e's big enough to do it. Sword
fish? Well, they don't often come into
the lagoon; it's the fishing canoes out
side they'll go for. Yes they'll run a
canoe and a man through at a blow
easy enough, but they don't often do it.
If YOU wants canoe. I'll get you one
and you needn't mind about the sword
fish. AS like as not they'll never come
near you.
About the divan? Well. l think the
naked divin. is very near as safe as the
ma chine. takin' all things. Worst of 1t
is. il a kara mauaa or an onoo comes
along the diver can't wait his time till
it goes. No, he doesn't stab it--not in
side the lagoon because there's too many
of them there, and the blood would bring
a whole pack about He gets under
ledge of rock and hopes it'll go away
before his wind gives out. If 1t doesn't
he gets at''-London Graphic.