BECHE-DE-MER FISHERIES. 227 



six tons burden. These make daily voyages from the curing-station to the neighbouring reefs, 

 which are exposed only at low water ; or a fleet of them may remain in the vicinity of the 

 reefs, one or more acting as tenders to convey the fish to the curing-station, and to bring back 

 supplies. A few large schooners or other ships, of from twenty to forty or fifty tons, are fitted 

 out from both Thursday Island and Cooktown, which carry on board with them smoke-houses, 

 small boats, and all the appliances requisite for collecting and curing. These craft shift their 

 anchorage from place to place among the reefs, sending their boats in all directions to collect 

 the fish. The crews employed in gathering the Beche-de-mer consist chiefly of mainland abor- 

 igines, or " Binghis," as they are termed in the North, with a frequent admixture of Torres 

 Strait and South Sea Islanders and Manilla men ; these latter are frequently entrusted with the 

 command of the separate boats. The natives of New Guinea were formerly employed exten- 

 sively in this fishery, and proved to be very industrious and profitable workmen. For the 

 craft licensed from Port Kennedy, Thursday Island, the aboriginal crews are recruited to a large 

 extent from the Batavia River, in the Gulf of Carpentaria ; the crews employed on the boats 

 fitted out from Cooktown are derived chiefly from the east-coast districts. The annual licence 

 fees, payable in Queensland, are similar to those of the pearl-shelling industry, and are as 

 follows : For every small boat, los. per annum ; for every ship or lugger up to ten tons 

 burden, ^^3, and an additional los. per ton for every ton over this measurement; ^20, however, 

 represents the highest fee payable. All aborigines employed in the Beche-de-mer fisheries 

 have to be brought to the nearest port for registration and for discharge before the shipping 

 master ; for which formality, in the former instance, a fee of 2s. 6d. per head is charged. 

 The wages earned by these aborigines range from 5s. to 20s. per month, with all rations 

 provided, los. representing the most customary one. These wages are invariably paid in kind, 

 goods to the amount earned, consisting chiefly of clothing and tobacco, being usually selected. 

 The lowest wage named, that of 5s. per month, is earned by the women, or " gins," who 

 accompany the men engaged, and at many of the curing-stations are employed mainly in 

 cleaning and preparing the Beche-de-mer for the smoke-house. A highly characteristic 

 illustration of this stage of the curing process is afforded by the photographic view reproduced 

 in Plate XXXVI., wherein the natives, chiefly women, of Warrior Island, Torres Strait, thus 

 busily employed, are surrounded by the not very elaborate paraphernalia of their craft. A 

 good average take for a station on the Barrier fishing grounds, working (say) with only lour 

 boats, carrying collectively twenty to twenty-four men, is one ton of cured Beche-de-mer per 

 month. Two tons per month, with the same craft and number of hands, is an occasional but 

 exceptionally abundant take. More often than otherwise, however, the full measure of a 

 single ton is not realised. The collection of the Beche-de-mer is accomplished during the low 

 tides in the new and full phases of the moon, and eight or ten days in each lunar month are 



thus not profitably utilised. The greater portion of the Beche-de-mer is simply picked off" the 



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