North-west Australian Fishery. 155 



eastward, and hurrieanes are more frequent, but there 

 is better shelter, and fresh water is more easily obtained. 



The loss of life and material from hurricanes 

 has been very great. When a vessel has succeeded 

 in entering a creek, she is beached as high up as 

 possible, and moored as securely as can be in the 

 most sheltered spot. If the hurricane actually comes 

 on, it is best to leave the ship and get up on the 

 sand hills, as the tide rises considerably above high- 

 water mark, and the low land is flooded : on these 

 sand hills both white and black men are huddled 

 together, but the exposure is very severe. The 

 vessel will probably be driven inland some distance 

 or lodged amongst the mangroves. 



Sharks and porpoises are driven on shore and 

 killed, and vessels that have not succeeded in 

 entering a creek, are either totally lost, driven in 

 shore, or scuttled in shallow water. 



The greatest difficulty attending the successful 

 prosecution of the West Australian fisheries is, as 

 on all other grounds, the supply of divers. The 

 usual plan in the North-west is to take up a 

 tract of land for a sheep or a cattle station ; thus 

 most of the Nor' Westers are styled in the official 

 directory, " Pearlers and Graziers." 



It may be of interest in this place to say 



