PEARL AND PEARL-SHELL FLS MERLES. 221 



other countries for the carriage of living fish, might be advantageously employed. Under such 

 conditions, the shells of suitable size might be accumulated at leisure, and preserved alive in the 

 wells for many days preceding the return of the boats to port. For this special object, a slight 

 modification of the construction of ordinary fish-wells would be desirable, brattices being 

 introduced to keep the shell from covering the waterholes or from lying too closely upon one 

 another. The holes drilled in the bottom and sides of the well should be larger and 

 more numerous, so as to admit of the freest possible circulation of the water. The employ- 

 ment of well-boats is recommended in the foregoing paragraphs, with reference only to the 

 transport of immature shell for the purpose of cultivation. I may, however, point out that, 

 through the introduction of welled vessels on a more extensive scale for the freight of the 

 ordinary shell, the station proprietors have at hand a ready remedy for the losses to which they 

 have hitherto been subjected, through the wholesale appropriation of the pearls by the boats' 

 crews. With the addition of one or two welled smacks to act as tenders to their fleets, each 

 capable of carrying a ton or more of shell, the companies and proprietors owning a number 

 of boats would be in a position to bring all the shell obtained into port, where it could be 

 opened under their personal supervision. One year's produce of the pearls obtained through 

 this arrangement would, it may be fairly thought, recoup to the owners the cost ot the 

 smack. 



Natural facilities for the cultivation of mother-of-pearl shell exist throughout the Barrier 

 district, and also in the Gulf of Carpentaria, although nowhere to such an extent as in the 

 neighbourhood of Thursday Island and the associated island groups enclosing intricate series of 

 well sheltered channels whence pearl-shell has been obtained abundantly in former years. 

 The necessary facilities being now afforded, Torres Strait, it may be confidently predicted, will, 

 in the near future, become as important a centre of the pearl-shell industry as it has hitherto 

 been of the ordinary fishery for this mollusc. 



Attempts were made on one occasion by the author to bring living examples of pearl-shell 

 from Thursday Island to Brisbane, with the object, had they survived the passage, of prosecut- 

 ing investigations into their habits and life-history. Had they journeyed straight through by 

 the A. U.S.N. Co.'s steamer JVarooiiga, in which they were first embarked, the attempt would 

 probably have proved successful. Through the courtesy of the Company's agents and the 

 Commander, Captain Borders, a spare bath was placed at the author's disposal. The shells 

 were put into it, and through it a stream of pure sea-water was constantly passed. Under 

 these auspices the specimens, about a score, arrived at Cooktown in excellent condition. Here, 

 however, the author was detained for a week or so, and the shells, being disembarked, were 

 temporarily sunk in frames in an apparentlj' suitable locality close to the Customs jetty. It 

 was subsequently ascertained that the water was insufficiently saline and impregnated too exten- 

 sively with sedimentary matter for their well-being, — unfortunately, not before several examples 



