2o6 THE GREAT BARRIER REEF. 



compared witli those of earlier ones. This diminution is to be accounted for chiefly by the con- 

 siderable migration of Torres Strait vessels to the West Australian grounds that took place in 

 the year i8S6, from which field many of them have since returned. The number of hands 

 engaged in the Torres Strait industry may be computed at i,ooo, this including, besides the 

 boats' crews, those occupied ashore in the management of the stations, in the repairing of boats 

 and gear, and in the preparation and packing of the shell for export. Of the pearling vessels 

 licensed from Thursday Island, it is worthy of remark that the greater number are owned 

 by Sydney capitalists. It may be surmised that a much more considerable development of 

 the industry by Queensland settlers will follow upon the granting of durable leases, in lieu of 

 the commutable annual licenses for station areas, provided for through the recent Act of 

 Parliament. 



The vessels employed in the Queensland pearl-shell fishery consist chiefly of strong lugger- 

 rigged craft, averaging ten tons burden, supplemented in some instances by cutters of larger size, 

 which serve as purveyors to the luggers and to bring the shell collected into port. The crews 

 manning these luggers comprise the diver, who takes command and acts as sailing master, one 

 tender, who holds the life-lines and attends to all signals from the diver when at work, and four 

 working hands, who, in pairs, take alternate shifts at the manual pumping apparatus for supplying 

 air to the diver. With but few exceptions, the entire crews consist of coloured men of various 

 nationalities. Mainland aboriginals, South Sea Islanders, and natives from the Torres Strait 

 Islands furnish the greater number ; while some of the best divers are represented by Manilla- 

 men, Chinese, Japanese, and Malays. The few European divers are mostly the proprietors 

 of their own boats. The shelling luggers are usually provisioned for one month, but may stay 

 out longer, having the requisite stores brought to them by the cutters. The primary cost of a 

 fully-equipped pearl-shelling lugger of (say) lo tons, averages ^650, out of which ^150 may 

 be set off as the price of the diving apparatus and pumping gear. The wages earned by the 

 crews are as follows : The diver from £2 to as much as £\ los. for 100 pairs of shell raised, 

 _;^3 being a common average. The tender £'^, and the four pumping hands £2 los. each per 

 month. Rations for the entire crew average about £(^ monthly. The cost of maintenance, 

 including wages and rations, but not the diver's earnings, which necessarily vary, may, therefore, 

 be set down at an average of £22 for the month. 



A fairly remunerative quantity of shell for a boat to bring in, as the result of one month's 

 work, is from 600 to 700 pairs, which, consisting of, or reckoned as, 3-lb. shell, would re- 

 present but little short of a ton in weight. In fine weather, and under exceptionally favourable 

 conditions, as many as from 1,200 to 1,800 pairs may be obtained; and it is the custom among 

 certain of the station owners and boat proprietors to give the divers and crews a bonus for all 

 shell collected numbering over 1,000 pairs. The agreement with the divers in reckoning up the 

 number of shell brought in is usually to count it as 2-lb. or 3-lb. shell, such terms signifying thai 



