Pearl
(Copyright, IIM, by Frank O Carpenter)
HUltSDAY ISLANM. Torres, Strait
South Puelilc Ocean. July 3 -(Spo
rial Correspondence of The Hoe 1 -
Hum- you noor hoard of Thurs
day Island? It Is the metropolis of the
pcnrlflsbitig Industry of tin- Pacific
ocean. Thi' urn about tt nte spotted
with hanks of pearl oysters ami hundred
of d.Mis aro always moving alioul
through tli'in. They bring bark tons
of valuable Hindis and often pearls of
great prlre. Already mllllona of dollars
worth of shells and pearls have been gath
"red, and still there aro fortunes In sight
The same business Is going on off the coast
of western Australia, where $.'00,000 worth
of shells nre annually raised and wher
omo shells are found worth $1,000 a ton
pearl, dls. overod tliem a few years ago
sold for $",roo, and another one found in
1&90 brought $10,000,
On Tlillt'silny ImIiiiiiI.
Hut first let mo tell you Just when
Thursday Island Is and of my strange tni
to It. If you will take our map of the
Pacific ocean you will see. just north r
Australia, the enormous Island of .
tiiiliua. will, h Is, not count lug Australia
the largtst Island of the world. It
ab in I, ".mi miles long ami In places nun
than lea miles wide. This great mass lies
vmHiiii eighty miles of Australia and tin
"Halt between the two ts spotted with
islands and coral reefs. There aro hun
dreds of Islands, tome inhabited by strange
tribes, others mere rural rocks Jutting on
of the sea and others half-settled by Au
tralians. There aro Islands for cir dav
of the week. There U a Sunday Island. a Mon
day Island, a Tuesday Island ami a Thiirs
day Island. When we came into the har
bor we were told we must go to Krlda
island for iuarantlne and we salbd by
other Islands later on before we came to
Thursday Island
In coming to Thuisdav Maud fiom Kris
bane, Queensland, l had one of the wonder
ful trips of the world 1 lie most of tho
way wa- Inside the (ir.nl Ilarilcr reef,
''which is mndc altogether of coral. Sup
pose .Mm (oubl construct a wall of coral
from IliMton to the Mlssl-slpi river, or so
that the length of it should lc at least 1.200
miles. Suppose the wall to bo from ten to
seventy miles wide and (o lie made entltelv
of coral; now in atolls, great rings or coral
walls enrltcliug lagoons; now In long ridges
and now in gardens ami beds of most
beautiful roil, white and pink (lowers of
coral, built by these insects of the seas
Such a wall Is the (ireat Harrier reef,
which extends along the whole eastern
ei ast of Austt.illa from Torres strait south
ward for more than 1,200 miles. At llock
hampton, several hundred miles above llrls
bane, the reef U a hundred miles from the
coast, but as a general thing the distance
between It and the shore varies between
pi: uu.iNo
live and fifteen miles and It was within
this channel that our stenmn, guided by its
pilot, plowed Its wny.
At times we were close to tho Australian
shore, coasting n dry and thirsty land, ns
' dreary ns tho nrld plnteaus of tho Itockles,
and again wo were moving along by these
great rings of coral, which iloated, as It
were, on tho face of thu green sea. Some
of tho atolls had vegetation upon them,
tho round basins being circled wlih cocoa
nut trees, while others were bare rods to
bo seen only at low tide.
Tho nlr wns, wonderfully dear and tho
sky a heavenly blue, with n few clouds In
It, which mndo great patches of dnrk
bluo velvet on the drosry grny ot tho
mountains of the mainland Tne water was
as smooth as n mill pond. Wo weto steam
ing, ns It were, through a great rami, onu
wall of whlrh was tho rocks of tho contl
ncnt of Australia and tho other that built
Aup by tbo countless millions of tho coral
Fishing Metropolis of
L 1
roitu,
polpn Tlie coral was in sight much of
'in- wa to Thutsd.i island and It gave
us some Idea of the enormous coral forma
tion of this part of tho globe.
Where the 1'enrl Shell Lie,
Thursday Island commands Toircs strait.
The Hrltlsh government is building forti
fications upon It anil It now has a garrison
on a hill back of the harbor. It has six
Inch guns already mounted and It expects
to establish a big coaling station here to
aid It In defending Its possessions In this
part of the world.
Thursday Island Is one of the smallest in
tlie strait, but owing to Its excellent har
bor It Is the port of call of all ships going
through. Vesselw of any slzo can anchor
In Its waters and bo safe and tho result Is
that all the Bteamers which go about North
Australia to Europe stop here. There are
also steamers for Japan, China, the Philip
pines and other parts of Asia, ns well na
vessels for New Guillen nnd the Islands of
tho South seas.
Through Its commerce and thu pearl llsh-
i.t(i(ii:it with ihvi:i;s in thu rniiKdiioi t
erics a coiiMdi r.ible town hat- giown up
nbout the hnrbor There nre seveial hun
dred buildings and the Queensland govern
ment, which controls the Island, has n num
ber of public olllces, such ns a court hmise,
a customs house, n post nnd telegraph oflb e
and a savings Innk. Tho biggest house of
the town I that of the governor, sianiling
on n little hill ai end, with a Ilagstnff
on Its roof. Near by are tho bin racks, great
two-story buildings with galleries around
tliem looking not unlike our second-cla-s
seanlde hotels In front of the town two
piers linvi In en built out into Hie hnrbor
for the accoininndatloii of the smal'oi'
steamers and back nf these ate tho ware
houses and stores The town linn six hotels
and threo or four churches Its inhabitants
como from nil parts of the Pacific As you
step on tin vvhi i f you ale t.ui luundod by
representatives of all the nations of tho far
cant There are brown men, black men nnd
CMtDKN' on" Tin: cui:t iiititu:u ukuk
tllow imn There are Filipinos. Japaucs.
I'liituse. Kiut Indians, FIJiaim and Papuans
More than half of the population Is semi
savngo nnd among the Moating population
ate pearl divers, beach cumbers and bech
de hut fishermen of all colors and rnreo.
Till' (irent lliii'rler Keel.
It is In the coral Islands and the lagoons
that the best pearl shells .ire found. Tho
oysters which prodm e these shells aro not
like our oysters. They grow to an enor
mous size mid the shells are often ns big
as a tin wash basin Sometimes they nro
eighteen Indies from ono side to thu other,
a single pair of shells spread out measuring
a yatd In d'ameter. Until recently there
was a law that none could bo exported
which was under six Inches In diameter
and nt present tho nverngo weight of n pair
of shells is about two pounds.
The shells lie in tho bottom of tho sea
and they are also fastened to the rocks,
especially to the coral rocks. Oysters do
not like sand or dirt nnd they will not
thrive where the tide moves thu sand about.
Within the past few years nn attempt has
been mado to raise thorn artificially In a
love In Krlday Island, but It has not sue- 1
cenled. Tho oysters hcem to like the coral 1
forilintlolis. Where they fasten lliemsdvrs
to such rocks they grow to gp at flo.
Tluru aro many caverns In the reefs and
they will attach theinselvi'H to tho roofs of
these submarine caves, n dozen Joining
themselves together and hanging, as it
were, by iin sel of threads. The fasti ulng
by which they nre held to the lock.- I-- linn ll
like a tassel, cnndhtltig of a can lingo or
nniK'le that extends out near the hinge of
the shell, and then branches oil in multi
tudinous threads, inch of which glues itself,
us It were, to the rock. Tho dlvoi ruts thu
thread and thus gets off tho shells
Millions in .Shells.
Most nf tho money In pearl fishing comes
from the oyster shell, not the pearl. A hnlf
million dollars' worth of shells are taken
from two fishing grounds of northwesti'rn
t
Southern Pacific
Mistralia annually mid the ouipi' fiom
Thursday Island Is even larger There are
pearl fishing stations scattered about within
100 tulles of this point, and 2G0 boats and
luggers aro constantly engaged In tin- luisl-
III ss.
Many tons of shells are found In others of
the South Sea Islands. Tho Tiiamotu group
has already produced about $.1,000.0110 worth
of them, having exported something like
2.1.000 tons ot shells to Kuropo, and there
aro other Islands almost as rich. It Is said
that the Tiiamotu bnls nru nlmnat ex
hausted, but If left alone the oysters grow
rapl lly, and a fishery w ill reproduce Itself
In seven years.
Tho shells aro worth from $500 to $1,000
per ton for the better quality, nnd oven tho
smaller shells of the poorer species bring
from $7f to $.100 per ton. There nre ships
which go from Island to Island and buy
tho shells from the savages, trading to
bacco, calico and other goods foi tliem.
They give ns high ns from $C0 to Jloo per
ton, but this Is for stuff Hint will sell In
London for ubout ten times as much
inonu llir Divers.
There are hundreds of pcnrl divers hero at
Thursday island. Among the best ,iro the
Japanese, who will stay longer under water
and risk more than anyone else There nre
manv natives from the South -mis anil nlso
Manes, Swedes and Malays, but the pruprlo
tois of tlie ships say the Jainn.sc are the
best and that the other" r I w h y pre
tending to be sick
Thu fishing Is done In small boats ot lug
gets. Tho boats go out In Heels of one large
A NEW ART SERIES
Tin llee has -riurid a si i n of beaut i fill n piodiirlliuis of famous paintings and
"in iTnl picture lii colors l li.se pnlii' in ,. nui,ibi for framing and will
look haiiilsomi in nnv li'itoi 1 1. rigliHi of Hie sern s will lie
"The Ttig of War"
THIS BEAUTIFUL PICTURE IS IN COLORS.
How to Get Them
These pictures aio 10x30 Indies and have never been Hold at the art stores for loss
than ono dollar, lly securing an Immense quantity of them we are able to offer thum
With a Coupon for 15 Cents.
When ordering stnto the namo nf tho subect. and If they aro to bo mailed en
close six rents additional for postago and packing.
CUT OUT THIS COUPON
Present al Deo Office or mall this coupon with Lie and get your choice of
Photographlr Art SnidleB When ordering by mall add Or for postage.
Mt r in:iMit'rMi:vr, iir.n ih uumum; (., mi iia.
iit ni;i' in ii;n r,
THE BKE PUBLISHING COMPANY,
17th and Ptirtiniii Sts.
l oat of, say 100 tons, and set oral small
ones The smaller boats are fur the divers
Itarh boat has a pumping apparatus t
force air Into the diving dresses when tin
men nre under the surfurc and also oih. i
miii hit cry The small, it boat nls abnu
$:t OnO so lh.it the hUHlin is l no no an
a i heap one.
li r. ic going down Into the wnler the
in.n oit on diving dresses, to which air
i ip "i imImk ,ue attached. They are Hist
i I in till. K ll.iutiel and then In tin s
r. , . wiili niclal head, so framed at tin
'i mil Willi class lint til, diver call see oui
I'.i. Il diwi wears b'ols soled with p'a'o.
.f iipp r or bad The Wright he caribs
I- UMI.lllv about l.'.o pounds, but Kltlietlllles
Ofl. n (here are Iwoiity-ctghl pounds
.ii i ,i. h boot and It Is Important In g inn
town tlie dlM r t,ei p his feel below lino
If In should , se hw balance and turn o. i
r hi-, boots should fall olT hlx legs tun In
IK op In the air. If one boot falls off that
leu will bob up In the air nnd he must is
far as pifesihte ,(op all the weight mi h r
hltn If he I. searrhllig for shells at the
bottom of the sea he must straddle Ihem
and stoop down
livery dlw r entiles u bag with a dinw
suing In It lie (ills his bag with slnlln
ind then Jirks the nlgnal line, and Is pulled
op The stalls nre counted and weighed
and he Is paid nccordlng to what he ha
found some men making much more thnn
othtrs Time Is one diver who has gath
red 1 oor, palis of shells in one dav, but
half this number Is good wotk.
DuimiTN nf iviiri riNhinu.
The business Is very dangeious Tliem
aro sharks and poisonous llsh ami sipild
The Hharks follow the luggers, altracted
bv the pieces of salt beef, which are now
and then thrown from the boats. They do
not trouble the divers without they nre
naked except when very hungry, nnd If
lln v come near (he diver ran open nil es
cape valve in his suit and make a nolsr
which nsuallv scares Hiciii awav As n
rule the dlveis ate nut afiald of (he shaiks
but (hey do not vpenr llsh or other anlinab
at (he bottom of the sea without first as
rerlnlnlng win tin r their arr stint ks about
for (lie drad It'll would siitelv atliact them
Another danger is the yeM r m,.t mpiM
This marine monster lias long aims which
he fastens uiion anvlhlm? ulililo l.u r. ..i.
If disturbed ho vomits out an Inky Huh!
which discolors the waters about him and
Hie diver Is liable (o be liewlldeied In tin
gloom and to fall against Hie rocks
In the tintlvr llshnles much of tho dlvltit
Is done by (he women, who go down with
out diving suits. They fiiHlen stones to
their fret to enable (hem to sink, hut do
not plug up their nostrils nnd ears as do
Hie penrl divers of Indln.
I'ln.lliiK (In. rM.
Tho peart fishing compiinles of Tliursdnv
Island are extremely careful in opening the
shells. No on,, can (,. whether nn oyster
tuny tint contain a liundrod-dnllar or a
thousand-dollar puirl. nnd tlie pearls nre
so small Ihev can bo enslly stolen The
opening is .lone wiiii n kniro much like n
common table knife, with a thin. Ilexlble
blade and sip ng handle A good operntoi
can npi n n Ion of nhells In a day nnd not
mis- n pearl While men will never lei
(Continued on lllglith Page)
