THE PEARL FISHERIES OF AUSTRALIA. 291 



the true Pearl-oyster, Avicula margaritifera. For a long time 

 this shell was supposed to be valueless on account of its thin and 

 fragile structure, but now there is a great demand for it both in 

 America and in Europe. It is especially prized by the French 

 and German artists for fine inlaid cabinet work. The young or 

 chicken shell is the best, and commands the highest price. When 

 the Pearl-oyster is five or six years old the shells become blistered 

 and wormy, and it is said the oyster dies about the age of 

 seven years. The divers in fishing make no effort to select any 

 particular shell, but take every one that they can get, even the 

 dead shells, which have the least value of any, on account of 

 various blemishes, rottenness, lack of lustre, &c. Pure-white 

 silver-edged shells are the best. The oysters in the West 

 Australia fisheries are generally obtained by passing an iron 

 dredge over the banks, but divers are also employed. Pearl- 

 oysters are gregarious in their habits, and whenever one is met 

 with it is almost certain that numbers of others will be found in 

 the immediate neighbourhood. Divers are expert swimmei's, and 

 they go down to a depth of four or five fathoms, where it is said 

 some of them can remain two minutes. The occupation is an 

 unwholesome one, and soon produces deafness and diseases of 

 the chest and lungs. Blood not unfrequently flows from the 

 mouth, ears, and nostrils after the usual dip of forty or fifty 

 seconds, which is repeated fifty or sixty times a day. The men 

 also run the risk of being eaten by Sharks, although death from 

 this cause is not apt to occur except in untried fishing-gx'ounds, 

 as the noise of the divers is almost certain to drive the Sharks 

 away. 



The Pearl Stations. — All the pearl-fishing stations in 

 Torres Strait bear a close resemblance to one another, and 

 consist of a small but nice-looking residence for the manager 

 and one of less pretension for the men, a warehouse for storing 

 provisions, &c., and several sheds for dr3'ing the shells. Before 

 the shells are brought to the station the boats usually run into 

 land, and the men open the oysters, take out the pearls, if any, 

 and throw the soft parts overboard. The shells are then roughly 

 cleaned and stowed under the hatches. At the end of the voyage 

 they are taken to the station, where they are counted and 

 thoroughly cleaned. The shells are then assorted and dried, and 

 after the outer edges are chipped off they are packed in cases, 



