ON THE ROAD TO CHINA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2425, 5 September 1900, Page 37

ON THE ROAD TO CHINA.

THURSDAY ISLAND. THE MEETING OF THE RACES. PEARL-SHELLING. THE QUESTION OF THE JAPANESE (Br ARTHUR K. ADAMS, Our Special Correspondent m ti/e F\z East.) , THURSDAY ISLAND, Q., July 21. 'vA little, barren island, scarcely more than a square mile in extent, surrounded by thousands of similar islands, stretching all the way from the Australian coast to New Guinea — such is Thursday Island, centre of the pearl-shelling and beche-de-mer industries, most northern of Australian ports, and most cosmopolitan of settlements in the AVOl'ld. * WHERE ALL THE RACES MET. _■ The vessel steamed im a -passage this great cluster , of islands, a low point, and we -came suddenly, upon a flotilla of pearling luggers, • al'a 1 ' 'sandy beach, with a fringe of cocoanut palms, and a collection of hoA-els, hotels, and Avide-verandahed, whiteroofed private houses, and a signal station and a fort on the hill behind. The A'irlie Avas made fast to a hulk, the doctor arrived and inspected us and our Chinese and Japanese' passengers, and a boat rowed by Malays took us ashore. Every race on the face of the earth has its representative here. The first shop we saw had a Chinese name over the door, next it Ava3 an Assyrian's cheap store, and next it a Japanese barber's shop. A black- e^-ed Manila baby Avas playing by itself in front of its homo, and further on a avliol© Japanese family, from the father to the s'aaven,' baby, Avas engaged in mending some boat gear. Kanakas and Malays sat on the pavement. Now a Cingalese, now a negro, now an aboriginal from the mainland passed ; and in the next' street a. string of little Japanese monsmes, each . looking like a painted' rose, waddled along, with their toes turned in, on their clumsy, high wooden shoes. I felfc that T recognised them ; I had seen them all before — in act 1 of " The Geisha." It is said that 40 races of mankind can be counted in the 1600 persons that make up the population of this little -inland. Of these 1600, some 400 are Europeans; while of the others the Japanese -have the most representatives. New Zealand contributes her quota: 1 for 1 found that two of the most expert divers Avere Maoris. THE PEARL-SHELLING INDUSTRY. Thursday Island owes its existence as a settlement to the pearl-shelling industry. There seems no leason why this particular island, rather than Wednesday or Friday Island, or any of the innumerable islands by Avhich ifc" is surrounded, should haA r e been chosen as the site of the township ; .but the harbour is good and, well sheltered, and the situation central." The extent of the" pearlshelling industry is enormous. For hundreds of miles east, north, and south— from Cooktown on the Australian Coast to the shores of New Guinea,— the pearl-divers gather the precious shell; and the yearly export 'of shell is valued at £200,000. Pearls themselves, though intrinsically so much, more valuable, do not compare in A'alue Avith the mother-of-pearl export. The annual export of pearls is estimated at betAveen £20,000 and £50,000. Beche-de-mer, — a huge sea-slug, used as an article ol food — is also exported in large quantities. The flotilla of boats in the harbour comprised only those that were being provisioned or refitted for another cruise. The luggers themselves number 230, and including tenders, schooners, and swimming-diving boats, the total number of A'essels engaged in the industry is 450. THE DIVERS. The pearl shells are secured by divers, either by swimming or working in a diving dress. -In the shalloAV Avater the diA r en3 merely leap overboard from the small swimming- diving boats; and reappear-two or three minutes later with the shells. In deeper water the diving dresa is necessary. • By this means divers can work at a depth of 30 fathoms,' though occasionally, the greed of a diver oA r ercomes his prudence ; and he ventures loAver, only to become paralysed by the immense pressure. Disablement or death from this cause is frequent. The morning we arriA*ed a Japanese diver was brought ii\ dead. He had gone down 36fathoms, and the pressure of the water at that depth had crushed his massive helmet in. The actual diving is done entirely by coloured or Asiatic races — chiefly Japanese — of Avhom more anon. ' SECURING THE SHELL. The pearl shell is the outer covering c£ a giant oyster, and measures from sin to Bin in. diameter. When brought to the surface the oyster is, of course, closed. When the boats are full they return to a.schooner f Avhich is their headquarters, and which lies near their scene of work. Here the oysters are opened, the occupants remoA-ed, and any pearl inside secured. The shell' is kept and taken at intervals to Thursday Island by vessels acting as tenders. The schooners and" luggers visit Thursday Island usually only once a year to fit out and sign on ereAvs for the ensuing 12 months. From the island the shell is exported by the agents. It goes to England, Avhere it is made into buttons and other articled. , r THE INFLUX OF JAPANESE. Until a f 6av years ago the trade was entirely in the hands of Europeans, the actual diving being done by other races. Then the dapper, energetic little Jap arrived, and entered into competition with the white man, and the white man succumbed. The Japanese Avas the most eleA'er and enterprising diver of them all, and! having captured the diving trade^ he turned his attention to the owners. Soon he- had possession of the majority of the boats; he bought luggers, fitted them out, and onir ployed his countrymen to work them. Then he turned his hand to^boat-building, and at' the present moment he^OAvns nearly the whole of this trade. There Avas the same question, of the competition of aliens that, we llaA'e had', to faoe in NeAv Zealand; and the QueenslancVj Government setu p a commission'; and two years ago passed' legislation to' conserve t> f

tvhite man's interests. This excluded Asiatics from owning any boat, or even any share in any boat, concerned in the trade. Its practical effect was to keep the industry solely in European hands, the Japanese and other aliens being allowed merely to act as employees. This, as far as I could gather, seems to have solved the difficulty; but it is only one instance of the stringent measures that have to be taken when Asiatic races enter into competition with the European. Australia, from its nearness to the East, will probably be the battleground when in the near future this grave issue will have to be decided. It is a nice question for the new-born Australian Commonwealth. AN OUTPOST OF EMPIRE. This insignificant island in a group of hundreds of islands is of great value to Federated Australia. Its position in the north-west frontier of Australia makes it of importance both to the continent and to the Empire. In war time it would be a great coaling station, and at present it is garrisoned by a force of 50 men, occupying a fort armed with three 6-inch breech-loaders. A new 4.7 quick-firer is soon to be mounted on a hill overlooking the township. It is a frequent port of call for warships. The Mohawk came into port here last week on her hurried way to China ; the Wallaroo passed northward, and the Lizard, also bound for the East, was in port as we entered. The inhabitants of the island were fully alive \o the gravity of the news from China, and the only paper issued at Thursday Island, the Torres Straits Pilot, was issuing-daily extras containing the latest cables. The proprietor, editor, printer, compositor, and literary and a-eporting staffs of this unique journal (issued once a weelc, price 6cß we found to be one person, Mr Alexander 'Corran, to whose kindness and unfailing courtesy — with the thermometer 94-deg in the shade — I owe whatever information I acquired about the affairs of the Mttle settlement. THE TOWNSHIP. The mixed racial character of the inhabitants dees not favour the maintenance of order. The coloured races are a debased and turbulent lot, and there bsJng only six policemen, the presence of the gairison is of great value. The day before we arrived a^Cingalese had shot and killed another of that race, apparently by mistake, as the man he meant to kill escaped. Every fifth shop in the town is a Japanese hair-cutting establishment, and in uaoh block there is a billiard room. As. owing \o the heat, every door and window is kept open, we could walc'i the games of billiards mid the operations of the Jap barbers from ■ike street. One of the sigV-ts of the piece is the Quetta Memorial Church, erected as a memorial of the terrible wreck of the Quetta in Torres Straits on February 28, 1890. On xhe walls is hung the flag and a lifebelt of that vessel, and a tablet commemorates that other disaster, the hurricane off Cape Melville, on March 5, 1899. This storm involved the loss of 76 vessels' of the pearling fleet, and the death of seven Europeans and 295 divers of other nationalities. The temperature of the island is remarkably equable, the extremes being 96deg and 63deg. There is only one thing to'be said about the climate : it is hot, always and eternally hot.

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SILVER CROSS.

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GOLD CROSS.