198 THE NATURALIST IN AUSTRALIA. 



facilities for access to the Kimberley goldfields, and the last convenient port of call 

 for steamers arriving at or departing for Singapore and the farther East, Broome 

 possesses abundant claims for substantial recognition and support beyond those 

 relating to its intimate connection with the Pearl-shelling industry. 



Landing at Broome under conditions other than those of highest tide is, to 

 the ordinary traveller, a gruesome undertaking. Even to the born naturalist a mud 

 wa( j e an( ] suc h mud of close upon half-a-mile with, albeit, here and there a spotted 

 whelk and here and there a winkle, all new to him, if not to science, to beguile his 

 attention, becomes a somewhat toilsome pleasure. Such a wade, handicapped with 

 a black cockatoo on his wrist, a cage of live lizards under his arm, boots slung 

 round his neck, and a few unconsidered trifles of less account otherwhere disposed, 

 represents the writer's last parting touch with Westralian soil. A new Broome, with a 

 clean swept landing stage, is the devoutly-to-be-wished-for innovation looked forward 

 to by the writer on the occasion of his next visit to Roebuck Bay. The foregoing 

 experiences notwithstanding, mud-larking among the mangroves unencumbered with 

 travelling impedimenta is undoubtedly, to the naturalist, a right royal treat that may 

 be profitably reverted to later on. 



In connection with his investigations of, and reports to the Government 

 upon, the Mother- of-Pearl shell and other local fisheries, the writer spent some little 

 time at separate intervals at the Port of Broome. He gladly avails himself 

 of this opportunity of recording his grateful acknowledgments to Mr. Skelton 

 Streeter and his worthy henchman, Mr. W. Male, for most liberal hospitality and 

 accommodation, otherwise unattainable, accorded him while visiting the remote "nor- 

 west." Mr. Streeter being, moreover, the owner of the largest fleet of Pearling boats 

 that sailed from Koebuck Bay, and his station being the trade centre to which a large 

 percentage of the shell and pearls derived from other local sources was continu- 

 ally flowing, the writer, during his sojourn there, enjoyed exceptional facilities for 

 acquainting himself with the wealth of material derived from this district. A small 

 corner from a couple of the many traysful of pearls that in this manner passed within 

 the writer's purview has been photographically reproduced in Plate XXXII. The 

 material embodied in this series is what might be denominated a mixed lot. It con- 

 sists to a large extent of irregular-shaped, or what are known to the trade as 

 "Barok" pearls; mixed with these, however, are a goodly number of first-class gems 

 of both large and medium-sized dimensions. The group occupying the lower portion 

 of the Plate is composed for the most part of pearl blisters, hollow excrescences of 



