Home » categories » rare book library » Streeter: Pearls and Pearling Life
This chapter is tagged (labeled) with: 

Ch. 8: Northwest Australian Fisheries

Ch. 8: Northwest Australian Fisheries Page of 341 Ch. 8: Northwest Australian Fisheries Text size:minus plus Restore normal size   Mail page  Print this page
158                                 Pearls.
they are inclined to be sullen and morose and dive for hours without speaking a word ; indeed, the quantity of shell brought up varies greatly with the disposition prevailing among the men, the happy mood generally producing the best results. A kind of freemasonry exists between the men, and at times they agree amongst themselves not to bring up shell, although they are well aware that failure to do so, will not lesson the necessity of their pretending at least to seek for it, and at the same time will entail a loss of the small benefits that they receive for a successful day's work.
A notable instance of this fact occurred with the divers of four vessels. These men, although on what afterwards proved to be good ground, persisted for days in declaring they could find no shell. At length, the vessels left for other ground, and shortly after another craft with Malay divers came upon the vacated ground, and secured a large quantity of shell, that was found stacked in heaps at the bottom by the divers of the other vessels.
These aborigines possess fine constitutions, and contrasted with the natives to be seen in the southern parts of Australia, are of high physical development. There is but little sickness amongst them, but they are unrivalled adepts in simulating
Ch. 8: Northwest Australian Fisheries Page of 341 Ch. 8: Northwest Australian Fisheries
Suggested Illustrations
Other Chapters you may find useful
Other Books on this topic
bullet Tag
This Page