The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1910-08-05
NATIVES live BY
Diving FOR Shells
Mother of Pearl Industry in
South Seas EXactS Toll
of Human Life

Consul julius D. Dreher of Tahiti
furnishes the following information
concerning the mother of pearl indus
try in the South Seas, especially that of
the. Society islands:
Mother of pearl shells are found on
the Pacific coasts of North and South
America, in the islands of the Pacific
ocean. in the Philippines, on the coasts
of Australia and in the adjacent is
lands. on the coasts of India and in
the islands of the East India archi-
pelago. in the Persian gulf, in the Red
sea and in Zanzibar.
These shells. which form an import
ant article OF commerce, are largely
used for making buttons and the
handles of fruit, dessert and pocket
knives.
The time for the opening and closing
of the diving season, which usually
lasts from the first of May to the first
of November. and the names of the is
lands open for the season are published
months in advance in the official
journal of Tahiti, together with the
regulations to be observed and the
penalties for their violation.
Before the opening of the season
Papeete merchants send to the islands
sehooners laden with supplies which
are stored in portable houses built
chiefly of corrugated iron.
The shells in the lagoons are re-
garded as the property OF any natives
Of the colony who will dive for them,
but as almost all the good divers live
in the Tusmotus they reap the profits
of the diving season. The schooners
transport the divers and their families
from other islands to those open for
taking the shells.
OPERATIONS OF DIVERS
These people carry with them pigs or
hogs, bread, and other things to give
TO the islanders among whom they are
10 live for some months. The merchants
advance supplies to the divers and also
furnish them lumber TO make their
boats. each of which is constructed of
three boards OF California redwood and
provided with--an outrigger to steady
it in the lagoon.
The diver paddles his canoe out into
the lagoon and anchors it, and, If he
happens TO hit upon a good place, he
may not move his boat during the five
hours A basket to hold the shells is
let down by rope tied to the boat. On
the end of another small rope, also tied
to the canoe, is q. piece of lead weighing
from 10 to 20 pounds. The diver, who
wears only a narrow loin cloth, places
one foot upon the lead, with the rope
between his toes, stretches the rope
with one hand held against his chest,
utters several loud yeIls to empty his
lungs, refills them quickly with pure
air, and descends rapidly, feet foremost,
to the bottom of the lagoon. His cog
giles exclude the water and enable him
to see from IL to Is feet. He tears the
shells from their support, usually a
piece of dead coral, to which they are
firmly fastened. He may fill the basket
with 30 or 30 pounds of shells at once,
and he may have to dive several times
to I'LL it.
The mans wife or some other member
of his family, who accompanies him in
the canoe, occupies herself by opening
the shells, putting the contents in a
bucket and washing the shells, from
which she also removes the barbs
The matter in the bucket is crushed
in the hands and then thrown
overheard. A part of the mollusk
is good to eat when thoroughly
boiled, then fried in canned butter, and
served with a wine or white sauce, but
the natives care little for it. especially
as they have plenty of money during
the season to buy other food.
INDUSTRY Is DANGEROUS
Diving for shells is hard and wearing
work Like many other industries, it
exacts its toll of human life. At the
ears Of the diver bleed when he comes
I'D out of the water, and sometimes he
vonits blood. His eyes become affected
and paralysis of the arms and legs is
not uncommon.
The finding of pearls in the mollusks
adds singular fascination to the hard
work of the toiIers in the deep. Occa-
sionally the rare black pearl is found
but nearly all the pearls are of the
usual color and not many of them are
of any considerable size The pearl
buyers show no little activity in going
the round of the islands to make pur-
chases. but no statistics are kept, and
the dealers are reticent as to the ex-
tent of their business.
The ease with which an electric mo-