Pearling Life at the Present Day. 179
the ship's papers, and to pay the duty of £4 per ton on the shells obtained.
A
course was then laid for Macassar, and a fair run made to Sapie
Straits, but three more poor fellows died on the way across, two of
them within twelve hours of their first complaining of illness. This
brought the total number of deaths up to seven, and happily then all
sickness disappeared. Strange to say, these Sooloo men showed great
apathy at the loss of their comrades ; they made no noisy lamentations
over them, and as soon as a body was committed to the deep, the
occurrence was apparently forgotten. Had there been a panic amongst
them, the deaths would probably have been trebled, as many of the men
showed symptoms of the disease. Fortunately, there was a deck-load of
cows and sheep, which kept the men employed and interested.- The boxing
gloves were also got up, and the men were instructed in the art of
self-defence, in order to distract their attention, great merriment
being caused by many of the combats.
At
the entrance to the Sapie Straits the ship was becalmed for six days,
and the men had very hard work towing the ship all day. Every
afternoon a little wind sprang up, and the unfathomable straits were
entered ; but after a couple of miles the wind died away, and the ship
being caught by the
