THE PEAHL-SHELL EISHERIES. 89 



chapte:r yiii. 



THE PEARL-SHELL EISHEEIES. 



Though the region of the pearl-shell fisheries, confined as 

 it principally is to the tropical coast-line of Australia, is 

 altogether remote from the territorial limits of this Colony, 

 a desire has been expressed that a passing notice of them 

 should appear in this pamphlet, inasmuch as the industry is 

 to a large extent owned and Avorked by persons resident here 

 with a fleet of one hundred and thirty boats. 



Mr. Saville Kent, at the time Commissioner of Pisheries 

 for Queensland, in his oflicial report for 1888, thus describes 

 these boats, and furnishes the further particulars concerning 

 the trade which are subjoined : — 



"The vessels employed in the Queensland pearl-shell fishery 

 consist chiefly of strong lugger-rigged craft, averaging ten 

 tons burden, suj^plemented 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 at his 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 Straits Islands 

 furnish the greater number, while some of the best divers 

 are represented by 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. Tlie primary cost of a fully 

 equipped pearl-shelling lugger, of (say) 10 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 

 £4 10s. per 100 pairs of shells raised, £3 being a common 

 average. The tender receives £3, and the four pumping 

 hands £2 10s. each per month. Rations for the entire crew 



