south of the Equator, and especially in the South Seas not far from where we are now. The coral polyp extracts lime from the salt water, and from this lime its minute coral skeleton is formed. The skeleton remains after the polyp is dead, other skeletons being added, either by its children or by other polyps; and in time, by the work of millions of such little beings, these islands, reefs, gardens, and flowers of coral are built up out of the water. It is from lime that all sorts of shells are formed, including those of the pearl oyster and even the pearls themselves.

The coral islands and reefs are the favorite living places of this oyster. It will not thrive in the dirt, nor in any place where the tide moves the sand about. The pearl oyster fastens itself by a muscle, extending out near the hinge of the shell to the coral formations, often picking out caverns in the reef and caves under the water. undisturbed it grows to an enormous size, the shells often being as large as the largest dinner plate and sometimes eighteen inches from one side to the other.

If

Pearls are found inside the shells and often in the flesh of the oysters. It is supposed that each is formed by a

grain of sand or some other foreign substance getting inside the shell. This scratches the oyster, which at once begins to make a covering over it. The oyster exudes more and more carbonate of lime, painting the substance again and again until it becomes a smooth ball.

A pearl cut in two and put under the microscope shows concentric layers like an onion, and often a little hole in the center where the offending grain of sand or other substance was.

Pearls are not always round. They are often pear shaped and sometimes of other forms. Round ones are the most valuable, the largest and brightest often selling for many thousands of dollars. The commoner kinds bring much less..

The shells of these oysters yield more money than the pearls themselves. Many oysters have no pearls, and in some the pearls are so small that they are comparatively worthless. But all oysters have shells, and the shells are of value in commerce. They are used for making buttons, knife handles, and other beautiful things. They are in such demand that men go out in boats to the coral reefs and islands about Australia and in the South Seas and dive down for them. They gather thousands of tons of them every year for export to Europe. Traders go from island to island buying shells of the natives, in exchange for tobacco, calico, and other goods. The shells are sold by weight, the best bringing as much as one thousand dollars per ton, while even the poor ones are worth getting.

Some of the best pearl-oyster grounds about Australia are off the northeastern coast in the very seas where we

now are. We meet fishing boats as we steam northward, and upon rounding Cape York, we land at Thursday. Island in Torres Strait, one of the headquarters of the pearl-fishing industry. Several fishing schooners lie at anchor inside the harbor, a steamer bound for Europe is taking on a cargo of shells, and pearl divers by the score are among the crowd of men of all nations which meets us as we step upon the pier.

sea.

Thursday Island is at one of the crossroads of the Ships from India, China, and Japan stop here on their way to and from Australia, and we find people of almost every race in this part of the world. There are black men, brown men, and yellow men; some from Malaysia, some from China and Japan, and others from the islands about. There are also whites, for the island belongs to Queensland, and its governor is an Australian, as are also the soldiers in the barracks near by.

We take a stroll through the town, visit the warehouses where the shells are stored, and later on go out and watch the pearl fishers as they dive down after shells. The men are first clad in thick flannel, and then in diving suits which will keep out the water. Each suit has a metal head with glass at the front so that the man can see out, and a rubber tube so that fresh air from above can be constantly pumped into the suit. He has boots with heavy soles of copper or lead to enable him to sink, and a canvas bag for shells. Thus dressed he goes down to the bottom of the sea, and moves about where the pearl oysters are. He cuts them off from the rocks and puts them into his bag, being careful to avoid the fierce sharks which sometimes follow the boats, and also the great squid, a marine mon

ster with long arms, which vomits a black fluid so discoloring the water that the man can not see and is liable to fall against the rocks.

When the divers come up, their bags are emptied. The shells are opened with a thin-bladed knife, not unlike a table knife, and the oysters taken out. They are carefully examined to see if they have pearls This work is watched by the owners of the

thrown away.

in them and then

boats, for otherwise it would be easy for a man to steal pearls worth hundreds of dollars.

8. AMONG THE ABORIGINES OR NATIVE

WE

AUSTRALIANS

E have waved good-by to our pearl-diving friends at Thursday Island, and are now sailing westward along northern Australia. The captain has stretched canvas over the deck, for the tropical sun is terribly hot, and the water reflects its rays in a blinding glare. The sea is like glass, and our vessel moves through it without perceptible motion.

It takes us two days to cross the Gulf of Carpentaria, which cuts almost as deep into the land as the Gulf of Mexico. Farther on we pass numerous green islands inhabited by natives and finally come to anchor before Palmerston, the chief city at this end of the continent. Palmerston is the capital of the northern territory. It has but a few hundred people, and among them some Chinese and East Indians, who act chiefly as servants and

laborers. It is situated on a hill sixty feet above the harbor which almost surrounds it, making it cool notwithstanding the tropical sun. The town has many good buildings, including a courthouse, two or three banks, a church or so, some stores, and, what is better than all, a post office where we

send letters home.

Strolling through the streets, we meet many of the half-savage natives, and learn that they come from camps not far away. This part of the continent has more aborigines, or native Australians, than any other. Vast tracts are almost uninhabited except by these curious. people. They were never many in number, and, like our Indians, they have become fewer and fewer in those places where the whites have taken up the good lands. They have also decreased elsewhere until now only a few thousand are left. Some are employed upon the sheep farms as hunters, and others have camping grounds here and there in the wilds, but in no other place are there so many as where we are now. What odd-looking people! They are a race of their own like unto no other on earth. At first sight they make us think of negroes, but they are brown rather than black,

Australian aborigine.