PEARLS AND PEARL DIVING IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume III, Issue 117, 23 July 1875, Page 8

PEARLS AND PEARL DIVING IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC.

To the north-east of Tahiti are the Paumotu or Dangerous Archipe'igo, a group of islands more than a hundred in number, the navigation through them being of an exceedingly intricate nature, and should never be attempted except in the day-time. Many of these dangers are mere atolls, the reef being just a foot or two above the wash of the sea. The tides in this part of the world are scarcely perceptible, Tahiti being an example of the Newtonian theory, that the tides are influenced by the moon, being completely set aside, for it is invariably high water at noon, and low water at six, and so on. Iligh tides (or water) are with the wind at west, which brings in a great tumble of the sea, washing in little wavelets on tho beach. With the wind easterly — the prevailing one for nine months of the year — the rise of tide is from six to nino inches. The Paumotus have been for years famed for producing mother-o'-pearl shells, and large fortunes have been made by Europeans in fitting out "shelling" expeditions to colloct tho pearl-oyster for trade purposes. This article of commerce was never so hi^h. in price as at this moment, for tho mail just in brings accounts of sales having been made for the Australian white-edge at £190 up to £330 per ton, and for Tahiti aud Panama from £G0 up to £93 per ton. A few years a^o, tho latter was only worth £20 and £30 per ton. These shells are principally obtained by natives diving for them ; but it is intended shortly to place the enterprise on a surer basi?, by employing men with the diving apparatus, when greater results will follow. There are comparatively fe.v natives in the South Seas good divers. The best a few years ago came from the island of Kapa (Oparo), lying to the south-east of Tahiti. There the islanders are very famous for living, and boast of having good wind They attribute this to eating breadfruit in a rotten state. Tho preparation of the Btufl! is simple. The breadfruit is plucked and laid away in cavea,

there to remain until it ferments. It is then packed in casts and conveyed to the island selected to commence " shelling operations." A shelling party will consist of about 50 men and a dozen or fifteen women ; the former dive and collect the shells, -while the latter open them, clean the shells, and lopk for pearls. At one of the islands being shelled, shells were getting very scarce, and the manager determined to move his party. Before doing bo he told one of his best men to thoroughly eiamime the fishing ground to see that no shell had escaped the divers. In liis descent he espied a bivalve with its mouth open, and resting on the fish was a beautiful pearl. He returned to the manager telling him he would go down again and have a better examination. The diver took with him a short, little bit of wood, and inserted it between the shell so that -he should know it •gain, when at his -leisure he would get it. He told the manager there were no shells left, and the party ceased diving, preparations being made on the morrow to go to another part of the lagoon. A moonlight enabled our diver to go down quietly to bring up th© shell ; he swam with it to some little distance from the settlement, and then on the beach, by the light of the moon, be examined this •plendid pearl. He went qufetly to his thatched fare, but not to •leep ; the beauty of the pearl haunted him, and as it was not his, but belonged to the manager, he had to use the greatest discretion in keeping the magnificent find a secret. A few more months and the party had returned to their homes, the agreement to divo having terminated. On arriving home, our friend of the other island was still •ilent about the pohe, until one day on the reef fishing he found a mother-o' -pearl oyster, and pretended his treasure came out of it. The islanders, young and old, were delighted witk the pohe ; none had ever ieen one so beautiful ; its complexion, size, and shape got noised abroad, and it reached the ears of the captain of a French barque at anchor in the harbor of Papoete. He got under way, and coute gui coute to possess himself of this gem. A dead beat to windward of a week brought him up to the island ; the natives came off as usual to trade, and among them the one who had the pearl. The captain commenced the business of trying to buy it. He opened the barter by enumerating such a lot of articles that when the values were added up, the captain found it was more than the ship and cargo were worth, sc with a laorona te Atua rn.au, the commander squared away for Tahiti, and the island that contained the pearl was " soon hull down." Months passed away and our friend still stuck to his treasure. There came in his way, however, a sprightly las 9 from from another island, whom he desired to make his wife, but he had no available property to commence housekeeping with, though he had still the pohe, so he resolved the next trading ship that came that way, he would exchange the pohe for some useful article of clothing. A little white speck one fine morn on the horison soon increased into a good large schooner, and sue was on trading bent. Our friend boarded her, and was soon deep in the mysteries of camphor trunks, American axes, knives, scissors, shirts, dresses, etc., etc. ; a bargain was struck, and the pearl was transferred into the safe keeping of the captain. The schooner's prow was turned towards Tahiti, and on arriving there the pearl was exhibited, and all acknowledged it to be the finest ever seen. It was sent to Valparaiso for sale, and to the delight of the ■torekeepers it brought $10,000 dollars, and then was considered cheap. It was sent to England, were it brought £8,000, and i 3 now the property of one of England's most noble families. The most valuable peavl in the world is in the possession of the Shah of Persia, the next is the Hope Pearl, belonging to a family of that name, bankers, at Amsterdam j the former is worth £60,000. and the latter, £30,000. The best mother-o'-pewl shell is found on the coast of Australia, and the best pearls in the Lagoon Islands in the South Pacific.