402 AN' ACCOUNT OF THE 



tonii, he hangs the net round his neck, and collects into 

 it the pearl fhells as fa ft as poilible, during the time 

 he finds himfelf able to remain under water, which 

 ufually is about two minutes. He then relumes his 

 former pofture, and making a fignal, by pulling the 

 cords, he is immediately lifted into the boat. On 

 emerging from the lea, he difcharges a quantity of 

 water from his mouth and nofe, and thofe who have 

 not been long enured to diving frequently difcharge 

 fome blood ; but this does not prevent them from 

 divine again in their turn. When the firft five divers 

 come up and are refpirmg the other five are going 

 down with the fame ftones. Each brings up about 

 one hundred oyitcrs in his net, and if not interrupted 

 by any accident, may make fifty trips in a forenoon. 

 They and the boat's crew get generally from the 

 owner, inltead of money, a fourth of the quantity 

 which they bring on fhore ; but fome are paid in 

 cafh, according to agreement. 



Trie moft fkilful divers come from CoIIi/k, on the 

 coaft of J it ; fome of them are fo much exer- 



cifed in the art, as to be able to perform it without 

 the affiftance of the ufual weight ; and for a handfome 

 ard will remain under water for the {pace of feven 

 minutes ; this I faw performed by a Cajfry boy, be- 

 longing toa citizen a.tKarical,\Yho had often frequented 

 the fisheries of thefe banks. Though Dr. Halley 

 c ms this impofliblo, daily experience convinces us, 

 that by Jong practice any man may bring himfelf to 

 remain under water above a couple of minutes. How 

 much the inhabitants of the South Sea lilands dif- 

 tinguifh themfelves in diving we learn from feveral 

 account:. ; and who will not be furprifed at the won- 

 S/cilian diver Nicholas, furnamed the Fish* ? 



;r RR, he fell a victim amongit the Polypes in 

 ■ii- plunging, for the fecond time, in is 

 • to latisfy the curiofity of his king, Fke- 

 deui .. and his inclination I alth. I will not pretend to de- 



ant has been exaggerated. 



Every 



