Birth Pangs of the Islands Pearling Industry

By Jps

THE history of the birth of the Torres Strait pearling industry in January PIM, prompts me to tell the amazing story of violence and bloodshed associated with the beginnings of the industry in the Pacific Islands.

Captain Rhodes in his fascinating but long out-of-mint Pageant of the Pacific, in relating the history of shipping disasters in these waters, tells, in passing, of the first recorded voyages associated with the pearl-shell industry of the Tua motu.

He records that, in 1803, the Sydney firm of Buyers & Turn bull dispatched their vessel Mar garet, with Captain Turnbull in command, on a pearling expedi tion but, wrecked on Apatiki, one of the Palliser Group in the north west Tuamotu, she never returned, though Captain Turnbull is credited with the discovery of a number of islands thereabouts.

Nine years later on September 19, 1812, there sailed from Port Jack son the brig Daphne of 127 tons, commanded by Captain Michael Fodger. Calling first at a New Zea land port she headed for Palmers ton Island, where during the pre vious year Captain Fodger, as master of the brig Trial, had landed four Britishers and two Portuguese—presumably to try and obtain some shell.

When Daphne approached Pal merston atoll, one of the Britishers swam off to the ship to report that the Portuguese had killed his three companions and that he had him self been in hiding for months.

He was taken aboard and the ship immediately departed for Raiatea without further investigation. What ultimately befell the Portuguese we do not know.

At Raiatea two more European seamen, presumably deserters from mother vessel, were taken aboard, a call was made at Bora Bora, and it Moorea the survivor of the Pal merston massacre left the ship. At Papeete, six native divers were taken aboard, and a further five and a Lascar at Anaa, Tuamotu.

Shell and pearls were then obtained at the Pearl Islands —some of the Fuamotu atolls in the vicinity of Vlakemo, probably, though the aame of Pearl has long since been changed.

The ship then returned to Papeete —and trouble The native divers cromptly deserted and three of the European crew disappeared ashore ;o lodge complaints on the food — urged on their way by a fusillade :rom Captain Fodger, who further iisplayed his kindly nature by re commending to a local chief that ;he three be caught, stripped, tied up and battered to death with

stones. Whether or not this fate actually befell them *we do not know.

Captain Fodger, by means un known, then managed to induce another crew aboard, and sailed for Tubuai to pick up a further five men landed from the Trial in the previous year.

Proceeding on to Rimatara, an other of the Austral islands, three canoe-loads of natives, numbering in all 16, came aboard to barter.

A difference of opinion on ruling prices developed between Rima tarans and ship’s company. The master headed for the open sea,

and ordered the crew to drive the natives overboard. Some reached the water alive, others dead, but in any case, none survived the long swim to shore; their canoes having been cast adrift miles nearer the land.

Still trading, in the good old fashion, Captain Fodger next

trough! his vessel up to “Leevoovoi” vhich may perhaps refer to Raiva 'ae, and when three local chiefs ame aboard to pay their respects, me was promptly seized and held o ransom in exchange for 1 h tons if sandalwood which the popula ion managed to rustle up and bring aboard next day.

The kidnapped chief, rather sur >risingly, was then released.

Captain Fodger then headed for he Tuamotu again, calling at Anaa /here four more natives joined the rew, and proceeding on to “Arnon” t “Arava” (probably Fakarava).

There Captain Fodger seems to lave overplayed his hand, the rew mutinying and Fodger coming © a violent end on August 28, 1813. rwo other Europeans were also :illed, the mate and four other Europeans reaching shore wounded, .nd three other members of the rew later joining them there.

The native mutineers, taking harge of Daphne, then compelled he remaining six Europeans and he Lascar seaman to work the ves lel to Papeete where the brig rrived on August 31.

Lying in harbour there was the brig Endeavour, commanded by a Captain Walker, who hearing of something amiss regarding Daphne took control of the vessel after a gun battle, the mutineers slipping ashore at Papeete by night and abandoning the vessel to the Europeans and the Lascar. What the sins of the Lascar were does not matter, but for some reason, and apparently by popular demand, he was strung by the yardarm of one of the vessels and used for fur ther target practice.

Somehow Daphne later reached Sydney, where a full marine in quiry was instituted, and it was due only to certain legal difficulties that Captain Walker escaped standing trial for taking the law into his own hands. Whether any shell was brought back is not dis closed.

The first recorded cargo of shell brought back from the Tuamotu to Sydney was in the schooner Queen Charlotte commanded ,by Cap tain William Shelley. She also was at the Pearl Islands in September, 1813, her crew also mutinying there,

killing two mates; one seaman suf fering the same fate. She sailed back to Papeete where King Pomare restored order aboard, and Captain Shelley again beat back to the Pearl Islands, eventually arriving home in Sydney on February 14, 1814, with 50 tons of MOP shell in the hold.

All this was 55 years before the events related in January PIM in regard to the establishment of the Torres Strait fishery. (It would be interesting to know when exactly MOP, as distinct from pearls themselves, became valuable.

Presumably when men began to wear pearl buttons on their shirts, or someone discovered how to make pearl-buttons. And what did they use before pearl-buttons? Bone?

Leather? Or string?) U Judge A. McCarthy, well known in Samoa, the Cook Islands and New Zealand, who has been doing temporary duty in the Apia High Court whilst Judge C. C. Marsack was on leave, has now returned to Rarotonga with his wife. The popular judge was given a flatter ing send-off by his numerous friends in Samoa. Judge McCarthy, who retired from service in the Cook Islands last year, will settle on Atiu Island.

H Mr. Robert Gillespie, managing director of Robert Gillespie Pty.

Ltd., and Robert Gillespie (New Guinea) Ltd., left Sydney on March 13 for a three-months’ business trip to Hong Kong and Japan. Mrs. Gil lespie accompanied him.

They travelled on the Eastern

Star, of the Indo-China Stearr Navigation Co. line for which Gil lespie’s NG company is the agent Bogia, on the north coast of Nev Guinea, above Madang, now has £ post office with full postal anc telegrapnic services.