PEARLS AND PEARL-OYSTERS. 213 



On the coast of Queensland, where it is in some districts tolerably abundant, 

 occasional consignments to the home market realize from 60 to 70 per ton. By 

 way of illustrating the up-to-date market values of the various descriptions of Mother- 

 of-Pearl shells, we reproduce here an excerpt from the latest Report upon a recent 

 sale held by the well-known Shell Brokers, Messrs. Henry Kiver and Co., and to 

 whom the writer is indebted for this abstract. 



HENRY KIVER & CO.'S 



EEPOET ON THE MOTHEE-OF-PEAEL SHELL, &c., SALES, 14 OCTOBEE, 1896. 



MOTHER-OF-PEARL SHELLS, &c. 



WESTERN AUSTRALIA. 378 packages offered and all sold, good clean bold and medium 

 8 7s. 6d. to 8 15s., slightly yellow ditto 7 15s to 7 17s. 6d., medium 8 10s. to 8 17s. 6d., medium 

 and chicken 8 15s. to 9 5s., chicken 9 2s. 6d., to 9 10s., good slightly defective 5 15s. to 6, fair 

 ditto 92s. 6d. to 107s. 6d., pieces 6 10s. to 6 12s. 6d., and dead and stale 45s. to 77s. 6d. per cwt. 



PORT DARWIN. 227 packages offered and all sold, good to fine bold medium 7 12s. 6d. to 

 8 2s. 6d., yellow Manila character 6 10s., good medium 8 15s. to 9 5s., yellow ditto 6 to 6 5s., 

 chicken 9 10s., yellow ditto 6 to 6 2s. 6d., defective wormy 80s. to 92s. 6d., good pieces 6 5s. to 

 6 15s., and yellow ditto 90s. to 97s. 6d. per cwt. 



SYDNEY* AND QUEENSLAND. 2,204 packages offered and all found buyers, fine selected bold 

 9 to 9 12s. 6d., fair to good bold and medium 7 10s. to 8 7s. 6d., ditto rather grubby and yellow 

 7 5s. to 7 7s. 6d., medium 8 to 8 12s. 6d., pieces 6 5s. to 6 10s., defective ordinary to good 80s. 

 to 117s. 6d. per cwt. Country sorted sold at 8 to 8 15s. for medium, 7 7s. 6d. to 7 17s. 6d. for 

 stoutish bold and medium, 7 2s. 6d. to 7 12s. 6d. for bold slightly defective ; 85s. to 95s. for defective ; 

 and 45s. to 47s. 6d. for common ditto. 



MERGUI. Only 21 packages offered and 16 sold, bold slightly yellow 6 10s. to 7, medium 

 6 2s. 6d., pieces 95s., good defective 6, and ordinary ditto 87s. 6d. to 90s. per cwt. 



NEW GUINEA. 72 packages offered and sold, good to fine bold 8 5s. to 9, yellow ditto 

 6 10s. to 7, medium and chicken 8 5s., defective 5 to 6 17s. 6d., and pieces 5 17s. 6d. 



MANILA. 710 packages offered and 373 sold, fine stout bold 9, fair to good bold slightly 

 yellow 6 7s. 6d. to 6 15s., yellowish medium 6 to 6 2s. 6d., good defective 5 to 6 7s. 6d., ordinary 

 ditto 90s. to 97s. 6d., and pieces 92s. 6d. to 97s. 6d. per cwt. 



MACASSAR. 39 packages offered and 11 sold, fair bold 7 12s. 6d., ordinary yellow ditto 6, 

 yellow medium 6, good ditto 8 12s. 6d., and wormy 90s. to 115s. per cwt. 



BOMBAY. 389 packages offered and partly sold, fair stout bold 90s. to 92s. 6d., medium 90s,, 

 small 90s. to 92s. 6d., and small and oyster 85s. per cwt. 



EGYPTIAN. 191 packages offered and sold, bold 82s. 6d. to 87s. 6d., medium 85s. to 87s. 6d., 

 medium and small 85s. to 87s. 6d., small 85s., and oyster 77s. 6d. per cwt. 



PANAMA. 132 packages offered and partly sold at 46s. to 50s. for fair, and 30s. per cwt. for 

 ordinary. 



SHARK'S BAY. 39 packages offered and all bought in. (Previous sale prices throughout the 

 year 1896 have varied from 27s. to 50s. per cwt.) 



LINGAHS. 3,844 packages offered and only a small portion sold, good to fine stout 22s. 6d. to 

 30s., and low 5s. to 6s. per cwt. 



This title of " SYDNEY " refers to Queensland shell gathered \>y Sydney boats. 

 Pearl shell is not a product of New South Wales. S-K. 



