The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-11-11

I
 that being the limit of depth fo yrbicr
 the divers could descend. Haviner 60. l lected spot from which to commend
 "ork the natives, in several relays ot 1 rom two to five men each proceeded
 to alVe and collect such pearl oysters
 as they found attached to the rocks on I the pottom.} The fact that the diver
 must hold his breath while under water l precIudes the possibility of any ona's gathering more than three or four ovs- ters at one time. The number is gem erally less, and often none.
 Their outfit for the dive consists or an open network bag fastened around
 the waist and stick of hard wood eighteen inches to two feet long and
 aoout one and a half inches thick
 shafpened at one end like a drill and
 pointed at the other.
 The net bag is to contain such ovs-
 ters as they may be able to find and
 detach from the rocks, while the stfclr
 serves the double role of lever to as-
 s1st in detaching the oysters and means
 Of defense against the sharks. which in
 that locality as Well as in the Bay of Panama and it's vicinity, are very nu- merous, large and savage.
 The natives dive and remain with their eyes open, and do not seem in have any great fear of the sharks. for knowing the latter's habits and tha ne- cesstty of their having to turn over and get under their prey before seizing it, they nave time to attack the sharks with their sharp sticks and drive them away
 In order to descend from the deck of the vessel to the bottom of the sea in then search for oysters they generally place one foot on a large, heavy stone to which one end of rope in attached and to which they cling, while the oth. CT end of the rope is fastened to A | Wlndlass on the vessels deck, to assist l thelr return to the surface when the signal is given by the diver. [
 After several successful years oP pearl fishing in the manner described. It was decided to build a pernnanent station on one of the islands, to consist 1f two or three small houses, which were to provide sleeping acconodations md to be used for the temporary or permanent storage of many articles which occupied too much room on the yessel's deck and were not needed in he daily routine of work.
 Although the natives had made ruanvs rips on shore and around the wooded. lllls of which the island was composed, md had found the usual number of ept1les and insects that were expected n that tropical region, they were not t all prepared for the immense army f snakes which swarmed in and , round the cabins and had taken full ossession thereof during the short per 0d of three weeks while the vessel was ; osent visiting and prospecting the wa f CTS of another small island not far dis ant.
 After some discussion as to the best ( leans to remedy the evil ana recover ( of the cabins minus the f makes, 1t was decided to bring a boat ( 'ad or hogs from the mainland, as ( 1ey kill and eat snakes with little or z 0 danger to their own lives. I The fishing season being near it's lose, nothing was done until the return g the vessel to Panama. There a. large Y umber of ''porcos" were purchased. I laced on lighter and lowed to the t land of snakes, and there put ashore V 'lth the expectation that they wou1o i estroy the reptiles and that the cah- q IS would be in habitable condition for S le next seasons visit. On the ret,,rn u the nshlng vessel to the oyster beds le following season, a party of na- yes went ashore on a prospecting tour They found the vicinity of the cabins E llte clear of snakes, and, as usual ley wandered over the hills some dis nee from the shore. In a very short e me- however their cries notified those n 1t on board the vessel and at the cab- T 5 Nnat something unusual was occur n as' Betore We were able to get start tt
 and proceed to the assistance of f( ose who might be in distress we b ere astonished to see the wanderers fl nning at top speed toward the shore flowed by one or more infurated rcos. '0" Ut seems that during their long stav 7 the lsland' with only such food as ey could find by roofing, the hogs had come almost wild and savagelv al.- w cked the men when they came nearI ! en- In their fear the men fled to the pre- shouting. These were the noises
 heard, and when the cause became S parent we were forced to shoot the