ten
dozen oysters, though some of the best men frequently get as many as
fifteen dozen. Of course a great deal depends upon the locality. The
shells average about 7,000 to the ton, and calculating the season at
150 days, each man procuring 15,000 oysters, the total of shells
procured by 450 men is about 2,000 tons. Formerly, on the independent
system, the divers generÂally preferred to sell the oysters unopened
for about twice the price that they would receive for the shells only,
the price of shells averaging $4.50 a thousand. They went out in
canoes, three, four, and sometimes five or six to each canoe, but
seldom in greater number than four.
The
rise and fall of the tides is about twenty feet. The currents run very
swiftly among the islands except just before and just after low water,
and just before and just after high water ; but before and after high
tide the water is too deep for divers, except in the shallowest places,
which, of course, are generally exhausted, as they are always
accessible. The divers claim that they can easily reach a depth of
twelve fathoms when not hindered by the currents, and can remain there
from a minute to a minute and a half. On reaching the place where they
intend to dive, the canoe is allowed to floatK or is paddled
slowly by one of the men, while the others, with their heads close to
the water, are watching the bottom. Notwithstanding that the bottom is
more or less rocky, they can distinguish an oyster at a depth of fifty
feet. When one is observed, the diver goes down, and if there are
several in the place (it is said that there are always two) he brings
up all he can secure during the minute or two he is down. If a spot is
found where the oysters are abundant, a basket is sunk by means of
stones, having a rope attached, and the diver can sometimes fill it in
a few minutes, coming up occasionally to take breath. Those in the
canoe take turns in diving, in paddling, and in resting, so that of the
three or four in a canoe, not more than one dives at a time. The divers
take no food whatever on the day they intend to dive, unless the hours
for diving are to be very late in the day, when they take a little
broth in the morning. They go down with stomachs as nearly empty as
possible, so that the action of the lungs may not be interfered with.
