locally
as "cock-eyed bobs;" they come off the shore and last from half an hour
to four hours. The wind, heated by passing over the scorched plains, is
very trying, parching the skin and burning the nostrils ; this wind is
very furious, and the vessels at anchor, even with top masts on deck,
heel over as far as scuppers under before they can swing to it. In one
squall in Roebuck Bay nine anchors were lost, and various quantities of
chain, most of the dingies being miles away from their ships at the
time ; whilst two vessels were cruising about close reefed, having lost
both anchors, and waiting for the squall to pass to borrow others.
On
average ground, a diver does a fair day's work if he finds one " pair "
of shells in eight dives, but two or three pairs are frequently brought
up at once, and even five, the man carrying two in each hand and one
under his arm. His daily " take " averages from ten to twenty five
pairs, but a diver has been known to get one hundred in a single day.
In the "Dawn" in 1882, the best day's take was 2,320 pairs to 37 men ;
and in 1883, the highest tally was 840 pairs to 42 men on the same
ground ; 350 pairs being the lowest. This plainly shows the exhausting
effect of a season's fishing.
From December to March the sea is rough, and the white man's task of sculling the dingy all
