PEARLING LUGGERS OF BROOME

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 208, 30 May 1936, Page 13

PEARLING LUGGERS OF BROOME

Picturesque Industry JAPANESE DIVERS SEARCH THE SEA-BED Broome, a little sun-scorched West Australian port beyond the tourist routes, is the centre of a picturesque and interesting industry—pearling. There are more luggers working out of Breome than even at Thursday Island. Broome is the home of mother-of-pearl. It was the good fortune of Mr. Webb Waldron, American travel author, who was in Wellington this week, to be able to visit this out-of-the-way township. and sail aboard a lugger of the pearling fleet. Mr. Waldron told “The Dominion” he flew up the coast from Perth, the air service being far the most convenient mode of access to the pearling centre. At Broome he was lucky enough to meet the owner of one of the largest pearling fleets in Australian waters. This man told him much about the system on which the pearling is carried out, and he himself gained further insight by personally going out with one of the luggers.

Pearls, of course, are not the principal source of revenue, which is the shell, worth at present about £l4O a ton. The mother-of-pearl shell is not the ordinary eating oyster; it is a giant, measuring up to 14in. across, One may go for months without ever coming on an actual pearl—but when one does it is often of fabulous value.

Consequently elaborate precautions are taken by the owners of luggers against theft of the pearls by divers, or members of the crew. In the ease of boats returning to port at nightfall, the owner goes round the fleet after they have anchored, and personally superintends the opening of the shells. On ships working at sea for considerable periods, a trustworthy opener is sent out to do this part of the work. It might be supposed that these precautions would eliminate the chance of pearls being stolen, but, said Mr. Waldron, that is not so. An oyster left in the sun, or heated over a flame, will open, when a finger may be inserted to pry out any pearl inside. Later the oyster again closes up. Mixed Nationalities.

“Ou the lugger I sailed with, the shell-opener was a well-educated aborigine. The owner chose to send out a man of another race, because he was less likely to be in cahoots with the Jap diver, or the Malay crew. For that reason the pearlers like to have crews of mixed nationality, Chinese, Cingalese, Malays, Japs, Dyaks, aborigines, and kanakas. If they can’t even understand one another, so much the better. They’ll be less likely to put their heads together.” Most oj the actual diving is done byJapanese. Physically tougher, psychologically better fitted to withstand the strain of long periods under water, at great pressure, they are also better fitted for the work "than meu of other nations, on account of their compact build. The greater part of the work is done by stooping: the pearling lugger drifts along with perhaps one jib set, going at walking gait, and the diver tramps along the bottom keeping pace with the lugger. It is handier for a short, sturdy man to be continuallystooping to pick up shell than for a tall, lanky one. And he must be able to keep pace with the drifting lugger. The diver is the real captain of the lugger. Probably there is a sailingmaster, who is responsible for the actual navigation and handling of the ship, but the diver says where to go, and what to do on arrival. His mate is engaged as tender, watching the airpumps and life-lines. On him the diver’s life depends. High Earnings. The best of the divers earn up to £3OOO or £4OOO a year. They are paid by the ton, ■ and earn all their money between April and November; duriug the remaining months of the year the fierce tropical storms called willy-wil-lies render navigation dangerous. In the off season the divers gamble their money away, being, like most Orientals, inveterate followers of the goddess chance.

In that part of Australia, said Mr. Waldron, there was a great deal of uneasiness about the Japanese. These men came down under contract, and the pearler who employed them had to put down a substantial bond against the risk of their remaining in the country.