20 PYGMIES AND PAPUANS 



over that scared}^ submerged land, which joins the Am 

 Islands and New Guinea with the Continent of Australia. 



Dobo has doubtless changed a good deal in appearance 

 since Ur. Wallace visited it in 1857, ^s the majority 

 of the houses are now built of corrugated iron in place 

 of the palm leaves of fifty years ago ; but it cannot 

 have increased greatly in size, for it is built on a small 

 spit of coral sand beyond which are mangrove swamps 

 where building is impossible. The reason of its exist- 

 ence has also changed since the time when it was the 

 great market of all the neighbouring islands, for now 

 it exists solely as the centre of a pearl-fishing industry 

 controlled by an Australian Company, the Celebes 

 Trading Company. Messrs. Clarke & Ross Smith, the 

 heads of this business, rendered us assistance in very 

 many ways, and the sincerest thanks of the expedition 

 are due to them. The primary object of pearl-fishing 

 is of course the collection of pearl-shell which is used for 

 knife handles, buttons, and a hundred other things. 

 Shell of a good quality is worth more than £200 a ton. 

 The pearls, which are occasionally found, are merely 

 accidentals and profitable extras of the trade. Some 

 idea of the extent of this business may be learnt from the 

 fact that more than one hundred boats employing about 

 five thousand men are occupied in the various fleets. 



We left Dobo, the last place of civilisation that many 

 of us were to see for a year and more, on January 3rd ; 

 and here, as we are almost within sight as it were of our 

 destination, it may be opportune to state briefly the 

 geographical position of New Guinea, and to give a short 

 account of its exploration. 



