124 



THE GREAT BARRIER REEF. 



number of islands in this Torres Strait group is about twelve ; and, with the surrounding 

 and intervening shoals and reefs, they stretch due north just half-way across the Strait. 

 Prince of Wales Island (native name, " Muralug "), the largest of the group, is irregularly 

 circular, about twelve miles in diameter; and its highest hill is 761 feet. Banks Island, 

 "Moa," a little over twenty miles farther north, is nearly as large as Prince of Wales Island. 

 All the rest are considerably less. Thursday Island, or " Waib^n," with Port Kennedy, the 

 headquarters of the Torres Strait pearl-shell fishery, and port of call and coasting station 

 for the ocean steamers passing to or from India and China ports, although geographically 

 one of the smallest islands of the group, necessarily takes precedence for commercial impor- 

 tance and activity. 



The smallness of Thursday Island becomes apparent on seeking for it in the accompanying 

 replica of the Admiralty Chart. Its name is not entered on the chart ; but it is represented 

 by the small speck, corresponding in size with the full-stop, in the adjacent name of C. York, 

 that may be found close to the extreme north point of Prince of Wales' Island, which is itself the 

 centre of three other islands of more considerable dimensions. The largest, Horn Island, or 

 "Narupai," is broadly ovate, and lies due east. Immediately north of it is Hammond Island, 

 " Keriri," of narrow elongate form, its axis running north-east and south-west, while on the west 

 side is located Friday Island, " Gialug," of scarcely larger dimensions than Thursday Island. 

 Although none of the names is entered on the chart, the islands that bear them can be 

 easily localised from the foregoing explanation. The high character of the land in Prince of Wales' 

 Island, the largest of the group now under consideration, is clearly indicated in the reef-view 

 reproduced in Plate II. of the Photographic series, in which the north shore of that island, with its 

 scattered pearl-shelling stations, forms a prominent feature of the background. 



The population of the Thursday Island district, including the several adjacent islands above 

 enumerated, numbered last census a little less than 3,000, out of which no fewer than 1,600 find 

 employment in the pearl-shell and the beche-de-mer fishing industries. The number of 

 nationalities included in this by no means very extensive population is probably in excess, 

 comparatively, of what is to be found in any other quarter of the globe. Their names, as recorded 

 in the annual report drawn up by the acting Government resident, Mr. Hugh Milman, for the 

 year 1888, are as follows : — 



English Norwegian Burmese 



Scotch Russian Javanese 



Irish Natives of Australia Egyptian 



German Brazilian Africans 



French West Indian Cingalese 



Bengalese Manillamen Mauritius 



Danes Malays Kanakas 



Italians 



Chinese 



Japanese 



