The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-07-23
MOTHER or Pearl.
Diving fer the MelIusks IN tn Iagooo. o,
tho TuAmotu ArehlpelAgo.
Fron Dsag Cea,slar saa rraa. Res.-,

while shells are produced IN all the tsl1,..
they are found OF good quality ana ia -
ing quantities In fewer than one. ,or-A
OF the laGoons The most ptoductlv. :,
the Tuamotu Islands are Mikueru. Tax .r-.
TakAroA and Takapoto of the frs, r,r.
Msrokau and RHveheTe of the second r,D.
and Hao. Motutunga, Manihi ant R,--,
Of the third rank az the Gambler Island,
Mangareva. AkAmarn and Akena p-ulsg.
shells which are large and heaNv. lr.' 'ts-
quality II not very good N" '.r.. '..
III" opening and closing Of the div.lr -.......
which usually lasts from tho fir. o.. M
TO the first Of November. AMI OBJ. .ta.s,
OF the islands open for IN" sea con ,fe p.F.
lished months IN advance m tN" .r-,-l
Journal OF Tahiti. together vi'h o." ras...
latIons TO be observed and the r.r..r..
for their violation. The large slant, AZ.
divided into three section. only %. d,
which IL open during n season. AMI '.r AN
laRoons also are open only once ,ra-e
three years. This year there will b.. ...n
thirteen sections and lagoon -ur.a ..
the latter being tn.iKnihCaEt B"'u-a oil,
opening ~ the season Pspe"te rHcrr. ant.
send tn the islands schooner, laden VITA
supplies which are stored IN portable house.
built Oh lefty OF corrugated iron Tho ,t-.
Ia the laRoons are regarded a. the pruraf'v
Of any natives of he colony vno n.I' tive
for them. but a. almost all tho good sif,r-.
live in the Tuamotus they reap ne l.r.r'.
of the diving season The s,rpura-.
transport the divers and their families
from OF her islands ~ those open for .ta.ry
the shells These people carry Nth 'isH
pigs or hogs bread and other thing. 'p :. .
90 the islanders among whom ihcv srs
To live for some months N" merchant.
advance supplies q" tho divers AMI f...
furnish them lumber I" make Their rott.
each Of which h constructed 81 three ba.r..
an outriKger To- steady II IA tho lagoon
For an anchor a piece Of lead fa-'"nod T.,
s. i"H ~ rSHsid a1 isH {" ~; 30" .
-npplie- and people are removed - Other
islands where better results may 10 Off,.
island present lively scene vi'r T.. o.
rampment Of a. many ~ go" men. women
and children.
The diver paddles his canoe ou' into tho n.
coon and anchors u and II he happens 'o M
upon good place he may noi in"," b. ,6"l'
shells Is let down by n rope 'iCd - tho nss,
TN the end OF another small rope" a." I'D
nfteen to twenty pounds The diver Who
wears only a narrow LON cloth. ylt."~ one
foot upon the lead. with the rope boz ueen 2.
'oes stretches the rope with ono hand hai
against his chest. uttcrs several loud .als
10 empty his lungs, reflls them UYu xiv
inremnst 20 The b"ttHm Of ~. lagoon W.
goggles exclude the v alter amt en- hIs hru .
see from twely" 20 fift"cn fc"r n" re1rs'-s
: ellis from their support. usually " Ius.a =
lead coral TO vhi"h hev are hrnly fastened
He may an the baske' with thirty rr 'h'r'r.
i've pounds Of shells a. once and he NAV hay.
To dive several times 20 M N When -
line u M the diver ~. ends nv means u''hs
rope and .mneiiH lately wipes himself i-v uth
a towel lie rests and warns himself IN
The sun from ton to fifteen minutes n.fp-s
going down again \ good di,ar MI 80
town from twenty 10 tw"ntv-r,e t.rras
Ia the Ave diving hour " TN" hn~k~'
riIe,l u j. draw n ~ aud he shells arc"rr.',ei
INTO Tue boat The mans wife or some Other
member Of his family who Accompanies
10 400 hoy. A.
ug the shells. putting the contents m
bucket and Washing the shells. from rhgh
shs also removes the harb- HANius IN.
shed the diving for the day N" man a-s,.'s
he Woman ia her Vorh The matter 90 'Hs
bucket j. crushed IN tho hands amt Ion
: good to eat when 'h"rouGhlN bod. g. 'ran
Ired IN canned huJ"- and S"rN"t WITH 4
/. I'M. ~ vhi'a sauce hut tho na-Ifr- are
money during the season - huN "'t"- 'uu1
Nhtl" he = gath"flnr he shells tho t.."r
iu~ nsh witch he u easily aple 80 de-. a. he
i-h seem to paw no attention - his pr"-sr.
mi n"Icm"n'- IN the Noj"r IN 'hr- va.
l- helps oui hts SANITY iSr,i"r. Ni"r p good
,rsak fat NJ diver eats very little until
,',lurk. when he - ready for substantial
ms "nlpnv ma tho ha-r diver. in he
\ GRID They dive all the Va' from . 30
~ feet. rarely more. "a their wota. AMI re-
he average man. two to two and one-haf
uinutes for goOd diver. and three o. D.
=
he pearl diNeT- ~ teN lon tho highe-' re-
,rd u liO seconds DIVING for shells -
lard and wearing NorN Ike 'nsnN o,N"-
Industries V cNa'tS ~ toll ~ human ne
~ the beginning 81 each season mo ursa
md ears Of N" diver bleed " her o." CONS.
mo out of the " atar and sonnet ines ne vorn.
- blood Hts ewes be-, ONE affected and
paralysis Of the arms and legs i not IN
ommon He j. ~ his heat h"' " ser Ne
lac and i ahl~ 10 dive less and less a. re
rows Older Boys who wish 20 bHrpne
itveI- for shells tesin To- practise soon gft.'
hen they have not vet learned the limit -
heir vapaCity, they occasionally Stav down
little too long and give out before he
hose ell informed that half a dozen ren
sually lo-e their lives In this manner durlnG
aCh season
More than thirty diving machines we've
imported from the nited States and vs@d
urtng the -~asonS Of l'o1 and ipoi h"' he
uthorities feared that the supply Of shells
n ght I've depleted ana the u.s.. 81 mach mes
as IntefdCtet before the uer, hhu's real.
red any net profits from their u-e lao
ears ago ten machines were sem back %
an Francisco. ten Others are stored 10 an
Id cotton gin house IN Papeete. while ne
est are in different places IN Iahl'I
umher OF efforts have been made 20 70.
rease the quantity Of shells Iy cultivation,
ust a. oyster banks are -"f ont IN a." o ted
e-sfui
Tho Nnding Of pasrl- in The nollysAs 80.
singular fas ,inatinn 20 tho hard v ork Of
black pslrl = tound. hut nearly al N.
elTls are 81 - . usual color. amt nT UarF
( them are 81 any considerable Size . -
earl buyers show 10 little aC'INt'v ~ going
he round of the islands to make par has,.
~ no statistics are kspt and he dealers
70 ret icent - to the extent ~ their Nus..
'-s n IL estimated that about $1,000
am for the p-ars 70 and ~ a season n
h" pearls rs ell 49, he shells are n . ret
utsites Of the dive = The hss' 81 the uea are
hle to make from 500 to go franz
l0S5 To 81, Sii during season bat %"
y erage diver pTphabli realizes about 80"
-sncs tts5pI. Ch.e'y ir' m the sale &C ssels
, the agents Of l. specie msr, hAnfs WLo are
II me ground tor that purpose
Heyond the PaeiAe.