PEARL AND PEARL-SHELL FISHERIES. 205 



assigned to two fisheries combined, being only £y:i,OQO. The importance of the pearl-shell fishery, 

 as representing one of the most valuable natural sources of wealth to the colony, is made 

 evident, in the foregoing statistical table ; and it is almost needless to suggest that so important 

 an industry demands every attention and encouragement, in the direction of judicious con- 

 servation, and scientific development. 



The pearl and pearl-shelling industry of Queensland is confined to the tropical area of the 

 Queensland coast-line, or, in other words, is essentially associated with the Great Barrier 

 district. 



Its headquarters are at Thursday Island, Torres Strait, \o\ degrees S. lat., 140 degrees 

 E. long., and thirty miles north-west of Cape York, the northernmost point of the Australian 

 continent. All the licenses for vessels, boats, and men employed in this fishery, are taken out 

 at Port Kennedy in Thursday Island ; and from this centre, shelling expeditions are made along 

 the mainland coast-line to the northern limits of the Great Barrier coral-reef, and throughout 

 Torres Strait northward to the vicinity of New Guinea. Within recent years pearl-shell has also 

 been obtained in some quantity on the east shore of Cape York peninsular, in the gulf of 

 Carpentaria. As a result of his official investigation of that district in the year 1891, the 

 author was able to report its presence also in the neighbourhood of Sweer's Island, one of the 

 Wellesley group, farther east in the same gulf. 



The average depth of water from which the greater quantity of the mother-of-pearl shell is at 

 present collected is seven or eight fathoms. In former years it was abundant, and it is even now 

 occasionally obtained in water of such little depth, that it can be gathered with the hand at low 

 spring-tides. Twenty fathoms represent about the greatest depth from which the shell is 

 profitably fished, although few divers can stand the strain of prolonged work under that 

 pressure. Some of the largest shell now placed on the market is collected at the above- 

 named depth from off the New Guinea coast. 



The following data concerning the licensing fees and the general conditions under which the 

 pearl-shelling industry is prosecuted in Queensland-waters, may prove of interest, and also of 

 some utility as a guide to immigrants to Queensland, who may elect to invest capital in this 

 important and (where skilfully conducted) highly profitable industry. The annual licensing 

 fee charged for every boat employed is los. ; for every ship of ten tons burden or under, 

 ^3; and I OS. for every ton or part of a ton above ten tons. Divers or sailing masters pay 

 a license oi ^i ; and ^5 per annum is charged for the right of occupying Crown lands, for the 

 erection of stations and buildings connected with the industry. A small royalty is now levied 

 on the amount of shell collected — assessment being made at the rate of £2 for every ton of 

 shell exported. 



The number of licenses for shelling craft granted at Thursday Island for the past few years 

 is about 100. This is a slight increase on the figures for some preceding years, but a falling-off 



