about
eighty miles across, and is crowded with islands, shoals and reefs. At
Thursday Island a Police Magistrate is stationed, and his main duty is
to regulate the Pearl fishing and to collect the revenue therefrom.
The
British India Mail Steamers from London to Brisbane call here
fortnightly, besides other lines. Upon the islands, dotted about in the
Straits, the various shelling stations are established. These consist
of the manager's house, " shell " house, and other buildings devoted to
the repair of boats, diving dresses and pumps.
The
diving boats are fine little craft, of nine or ten tons, rigged with
two standing lugs, and they carry six hands—the diver, the tender, and
four pumpers. There are no Europeans in the boats, but coloured men of
all sorts and conditions are to be found there.
The
boats are provisioned for a fortnight, and go wherever the diver
chooses. At the end of the fortnight the boats rendezvous at some spot
agreed upon, to meet the tender from the station—either a cutter or
small schooner—which takes over the shells and issues another
fortnight's provisions. After a year's work the diver proceeds to Sydney
