CHAPTER VIII. 



North-West Australian Fishery. 



' What hids't thou in thy treasure-caves and cells, 

 Thou hollow -sounding and mysterious Main ? 



Pale glistening Pearls, and rainbow-coloured shells, 

 Bright things that gleam unrecked of and in vain." 



— Hemans. 



EARL-SHELLING was commenced on 

 this coast in 1868, and in spite of its 

 natural difficulties and the great fall 

 in the price of Pearl-shells, the industry has, up 

 to the present time, been actively and prosperously 

 maintained. It commenced in a modest way; the 

 shells being simply picked up at low water on reefs 

 almost dry for two hours in the day, but covered 

 by from three to five fathoms of water at high 

 tide. As these *Mry shells" became exhausted, 

 small boats and dingies were introduced, each boat 

 with a white man and six to eight natives, diving 

 in one or two fathoms of water, wherever they 



