The Wing Shells, Pearl Oysters and Hammer Oysters 



comes up. Another plan is to pile the shells until they open, 

 when the soft parts are thoroughly scanned for free pearls, which 

 are the most valuable, and the shells are cleaned for shipment as 

 mother-of-pearl. At this time the diver gets his share. 



In one of the best-managed fisheries in the South Sea Islands 

 the divers work by contract that binds them for the season. 

 They are paid by the ton for their shells, graded into three quali- 

 ties. The pearls found belong to the divers, who sell them 

 usually to the company. The best grounds are near the bases of 

 large patches of coral, at ten to fifteen fathoms depth. Women 

 and children make expert divers. All get excellent wages, which 

 they squander upon tawdry finery at the company's store, and 

 Saturday and Sunday are spent in carousing. 



The Albatross on a recent cruise spent some time near this 

 pearl fishery, and one of the party gives a vivid account of a visit 

 to see the divers at work. 



We took passage in one of the small cutters employed in the 

 fishery, and on arriving at our destination made fast to a cutter 

 anchored over a submerged growth of coral. Two other cutters 

 were anchored close by. Three divers were on one boat and 

 five on the other, one of whom was a woman. Each of the divers 

 is provided with a water glass with which he scans the water 

 before going down. The glass is sixteen inches square at the top, 

 twelve inches at the bottom, and twelve inches deep. (A hol- 

 low cubical vessel.) It has a notch in the side in which to rest 

 the neck. By its aid the bottom can be seen to a depth of twenty 

 fathoms, and shells located. By locating clumps of shells before 

 going down, much labour is saved. Instead of the diver ex- 

 hausting his energy in diving at random and searching for shells 

 after reaching bottom, he goes directly to the spot where the 

 shells lie. At other times, in shallow water, he goes down to 

 explore the bottom. In this way clusters of shells are located 

 before any are taken. 



Before descending, the divers sit around on deck for some 

 little time, inflating their lungs to the fullest capacity, exhaling 

 the air through the mouth, making a low, whistling sound. No 

 clothing is worn except a breech cloth. On the shoulders is 

 carried a bag net in which to put the shells. It is made of cocoa- 

 nut fibre and is about twenty inches deep and twelve inches 

 across ; size of mesh, 2j inches. It offers little resistance and 

 will carry all the shells a man can bring to the surface. In the 

 left hand is carried a pearl shell, which serves the same purpose as 

 a knife. With it obstacles are removed from the bottom and 

 shells are loosened from their bed. The right hand is protected 

 by a white cotton mitten. 



397 



