THE CRUISE OF THE LIZARD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 9598, 24 August 1894, Page 5

THE CRUISE OF THE LIZARD.

SOM& months ago H.M.s. Lizard was despatched from Queensland for Dutch New Guinea, in order to make inquiries into the pearl-shelling business at the Aru Islands, in which a number of Australian vessels are engaged. The warship returned to Cairna, Queensland, on tho 16th instant, and in referring to his visit to the Islands, Captain Hancock, the commander of the vessel, says that he found the reports of the strained relations between the pearlshellers and the Dutch much exaggerated. Very little pearlehelling is going on at Dutch New Guinea. Tne Dutch nave made no efforts to fish for pearlshell, nor do the natives do so, yeb they are very jealous of Britishers coming in to work the industry. The delays in securing concessions are consequently very great indeed. After the latter are granted, they are subject to the approval of the native chief of the locality concerned, and he usually imposes a royalty running as high as £4 per ton for shell, but beyond this he is only too happy to have Englishmen working in his waters. Very little trade is done by the Dutch with the islands or with their portion of New Guinea, bub Chinese or Malays are spreading themselves well over the country. At Aru Islands it was reported that a disease known as beriberi was attacking an unusually large number of natives.