Thursday Is. Notes.

The Price of Trocas.

From Our Own Correspondent.

Thursday Is., Oct. 31.

TROCAS shell still keeps round about about £70 to 80 per ton. A new patch was struck the other day by one of the native-owned luggers, but the shell was of large, heavy variety— evidently the finders had come upon the grandparents of the species!

A Japanese, in the employ of one of the pearling firms (who has been out here sixteen years and should have known better), started a venture of his own recently by landing and selling a quantity of beche-de-mer which was not his property. The police found the stuff, already bagged, to go to China.

At the Police Court the magistrate im posed a stiff fine, and intimated that next time it would be imprisonment without the option.

The “Naunga,” a new launch acquired for the Lockhart River Mission, on the east coast of Cape York Peninsula, arrived in Thursday Island recently.

Search For Gold.

T. I. has seen quite a run of yachts and visiting craft this year. In some cases the owners are simply on a plea sure cruise, in others the lure of gold has attracted venturesome spirits. The “Mitsi,” and auxiliary ketch, arrived from Sydney the other day with a party on board who are at present having a look over the old gold workings on Possession Island. Years ago, Posses sion Island carried quite a flourishing community, and there were a couple of batteries established there. One drive is almost immediately below the Cook Memorial. Had the Captain detected signs of gold when he hoisted the flag Australia’s history might have been very different in so far as settlement is con cerned.

Another visitor to T. I. was the

"Veimauri,” carrying a company of

scientific men who are working their

particular ’ologies in Southern Papua,

and possibly, later, in Torres Strait.

Need For Tourist Committee.

Last week the Blue Funnel steamer “Ulysses’’ arrived at Thursday Island, carrying upwards of 200 English tourists who are making the round trip. This is a new venture, and as T.I. was the first port of call in Australia, the Mayor went out to the anchorage at Black Rock and extended a welcome before the passengers came ashore.

There was not much time to organise any thing for the visitors, and, as a matter of fact, it was not known until after the ship anchored whether people would have time to get ashore. However, a number came off and did a hurried run round. It is likely that another ship will be carrying out a similar programme in a few months’ time.

There is nothing in the way of a Travellers’

Reception Committee, or Tourist Bureau, in our little community, and when visitors arrive they have to rely on friends to show them round. There is often an amount of uncer tainty as to whether the ship will be able to come up to the wharf, or anchor out at Black Rock, thereby necessitating launch trans portation involving perhaps an hour’s run.

But some organisation which could be of assistance to those who either spend only a few hours here or stay in between steamers would find scope for its energies, and help to further interest in our island and surroundings.

It has been suggested that a body composed of representatives of the Town Council, Chamber of Commerce, Royal Geographical Society, and C.W.A., with some others, might be formed, which would disseminate informa tion, and put visitors in touch with what is to be seen, as well as make arrangements for short shooting and fishing trips, etc.

Lightship Astray.

The lightship “Carpentaria,’’ which is anchored at the western approaches to Torres Strait, the other side of Booby Island, again broke loose from her moorings a couple of weeks back, and was picked up about ’ ty miles west of where she should have been.

A sister ship is kept at T.I. for such emer gencies, but the escapee will be taken back to its place when the Commonwealth lighthouse steamer arrives.

Captain Gamble, the popular skipper of the A. & O. steamer “Taiping’’, is at present in the local hospital. A poisoned leg is the trouble, his condition being such when the steamer arrived here that the medical officers advised his getting off immediately. He is now making good progress.

Mr. H. L. Perriman arrived from south by the last B.P. steamer, on his way back to Groote Eylandt Mission Station (of which he is the superintendent) after furlough.

The new manager of the A.W.A. radie station, Mr. J. B. Stoyle, has arrived and taken over from Mr. Cox, who has now gone south.

Geographical Interest.

At the annual meeting of the Royal Geo graphical Society, held this week, Mr. D. G.

Harmon was appointed hon. sec. The local branch, which was founded by Dr. Vernon, is a very vigorous one- —in fact, it has the re putation of being the most active country branch in Queensland. In recognition of the fine services rendered by Dr. Vernon, the branch has asked him to accept life membership. A number of new members have joined up this year, and interest promises to be well maintained.

There are a number in the town who are very keen on anything pertaining to historical or geographical matters, and Torres Strait, with its romantic history, offers plenty of scope in this direction. We are also singularly for tunate in being able from time to time to commandeer visiting or passing scientists and others for an evening’s lecture, and already two or three gentlemen who are known to be contemplating a run this way shortly have been booked up on the secretary’s list. Some local research work is being done, also, connected chiefly with the history of the locality.

So far, however, no one has succeeded in discovering who was actually responsible for naming Thursday Island! Both Cook and Bligh have been mentioned, but there seems to be no definite evidence that either of them were sufficiently close to T.I. itself to recognise it as a separate chunk of land from the rest of the Prince of Wales group. If any P.I.M. reader has anything to offer in the way of suggestions, the R.G.S.A. folk here will be glad to have it.

A Novel Wedding.

THE launch “Weenona” carried a happy party of T.I. visitors to St. Paul’s, Moa Island (thirty miles away) on September 26, for the wedding of Miss Kathleen Prior to Mr.

W. J. Daniells.

Miss Prior came up from Sydney seven years ago to take charge of the school at St. Paul’s, and since then has become principal of the High School (the first for Torres Strait natives) and matron of the Girls’ Hostel. Mr. Daniells has been Government official at Saibai Island, and was recently appointed to the charge of the new aboriginal mission at Edward River, in the Gulf of Carpentaria.

The Rev. T. W. Schomberg performed the ceremony; and a guard of honour consisting of native Girl Guides and school pupils formed up outside the church. Decorated dancers and drummers escorted the bridal party through the village to where a big native feast was set, and the islanders carried out native custom in presenting various gifts and dance ceremonies.

It was a very picturesque affair, gay with colour, and the visitors found it quite a new and interesting experience. The happy couple sailed for Edward River in the ketch “Francis Pratt’’ at the beginning of October.

Ingenious Teacher.

One of the Torres Strait Island schools, that at Mabuiag (Jervis) has a head teacher gifted in the art of modelling and sketching, and he turns these to good practical use for the ad vancement in knowledge of his dusky pupils.

On tables are erected large models of the Suez Canal, Tilbury Docks, a coal mine, and the Straits, with model ships indicating the various shipping lines passing through; and the latest addition is a six-foot model of Sydney Bridge, with shipping passing beneath and a stream of traffic crossing the structure. The walls carry presentations in colours of the various marine and other products which the islands provide, with pictures signifying what pur poses commerce puts them to and the countries which buy them. The ceiling is decorated with portraits of Cook, Bligh, Torres, and other navigators who wandered over these waters in the past. Thus, the youngsters here know a good deal more of wdiat becomes of the stuff their fathers bring up in the way of trochus, m.o.p., beche-de-mer, etc., than do a great many southern children, while their knowledge of early North Australian history is also pretty considerable.