146 Pearls. 



which, until lately, consisted of about twenty wooden 

 buildings on the bank of a creek ; but the recent 

 discovery of the Kimberley gold fields has led to 

 its rapid development. Cossack, otherwise known as 

 Tien Sin, and Port Walcot, is situated in 21° 41' 

 S. lat., and 117° 08' E. long. It is the port for 

 Roebourne, eight miles inland, and the capital of 

 the North-west, with which it is now connected 

 by a tram line. 



The immediate surroundings of both Cossack 

 and Roebourne were, until this year, most dismal. 

 With the exception of a few scanty, hurricane- 

 torn mangroves in the creek, neither tree nor blade 

 of grass is to been seen. There are, however, a 

 number of thriving sheep stations not many miles 

 distant. 



The coast is regularly visited by severe hur- 

 ricanes — revolving storms, known elsewhere as 

 cyclones or typhoons. In March, 1882, both 

 Cossack and Roebourne were literally levelled to 

 the ground in the course of a few hours. The 

 hurricane months are from December to March 

 inclusive, and every year several Pearling craft are 

 damaged, if not totally lost. The rise and fall of 

 tide varies on this coast from 18 to 40 feet. 



Cossack Creek, which is almost dry at low 



