CHAP. ix.J ODDITIES OF THE FISHERY. -M>5 



a stout knife, and with her thumb feels every part of its in- 

 terior. She has been pretty successful, and her tidy dress 

 when she is resting from her labour betokens the good use 

 she makes of the proceeds of her fishing. The spectator may 

 next pass through the crowds of men, women, and boys 

 similarly employed, where the grassy banks are reddened by 

 the constant tread of many feet, and the smell of heaps upon 

 heaps of putrid mussels tells the magnitude of the slaughter. 

 The eye is then attracted by the sight of a man on crutches 

 making for the river. He soon gets seated on the right bank 

 of the stream, where his better half, in water almost beyond 

 her depth, is gathering from the bottom of the muddy and all 

 but stagnant part of the river a quantity of shells for him to 

 examine. Nor were the labours of this couple unrewarded ; 

 by their united exertions they earned in a few weeks some- 

 what above 8, and so little idea had they of the value of the 

 pearls, that on one occasion when they expected about 15s. for 

 a few they had despatched to the collector, they were agree- 

 ably surprised at the receipt of three times the amount by 

 return of post. It was found that the fishing was most suc- 

 cessful where the river was deep and its motion sluggish. To 

 get at the mussels in such places, large iron rakes, with long- 

 teeth and handles about twenty feet in length, were procured, 

 and by means of these some of the deepest parts of the river 

 were dragged and some valuable pearls secured; many of 

 which were disposed of at 1 each, others at 25s., and one at 

 2 ; while a great number ranged from 7s. 6d. to 15s. each. 

 But by far the greater portion were either entirely useless, or 

 on account of their smallness, bad shape, or colour, were parted 

 with for a mere trifle. Some idea of the extent of the pearl- 

 fishery in 1863 of this one river may be gathered from the 

 fact that Mr. Unger paid to those engaged in it a sum ex- 

 ceeding 150 for each month the fishing lasted ; and a goodly 

 number of pearls were disposed of to private individuals in 



