1 84 Pearls. 



ten-and-a-half fathoms. He can now find shells as 

 well as any native. 



Mr. Chippindall practically proved that diving 

 dresses could be worked satisfactorily on the North- 

 west Australian grounds, and in a systematic manner. 

 This fact being assured, the use of swimming divers 

 will henceforth gradually but surely die out. The 

 " Telephone " and the " Sree Pas-Sair " are now used 

 as floating and moveable stations, for the needs 

 of the fleet. Each vessel carries a diving dress 

 and seven men; thus the fleet now consists of 21 

 boats carrying 150 divers, and 21 diving dresses. All 

 these men are signed under shipping articles, and 

 are therefore under complete control. The extended 

 nature of the West-Australian pearling grounds, 

 renders this system absolutely necessary, and this 

 will in the future tend to prevent the relations 

 between the masters and the men falling into the 

 state which now exists in Torres Straits. 



It speaks well for the discipline of the crew, and 

 the kindness of the officers, that they never have to 

 punish a man, beyond sending him up aloft. Every 

 other night, half of the men come on to the mother 

 ship, to hear the music. The severest punishment 

 the men can receive is not to be allowed to be 

 present at the concert. They work hard and 



