tons. It must be
clearly understood that this is Captain Jensen's estimate--I am utterly
unable to give one. The oysters themselves we found very poor eating,
and no one on board cared about them. Some of the shells contained one
pearl, others two, three, and even four. One magnificent specimen I came
across produced no fewer than a dozen fine pearls, but that of course was
very exceptional. The largest gem I ever found was shaped just like a
big cube, more than an inch square. It was, however, comparatively
worthless. Actually the finest specimen that passed through my hands was
about the size of a pigeon's egg, and of exquisite colour and shape. Some
of the pearls were of a beautiful rose colour, others yellow; but most
were pure white.

The greatest enemy the divers had to fear in those waters was the dreaded
octopus, whose presence occasioned far greater panic than the appearance
of a mere shark.

These loathsome monsters--call them squids, or devil-fish, or what you
will--would sometimes come and throw their horrible tentacles over the
side of the frail craft from which the divers were working, and actually
fasten on to the men themselves, dragging them out into the water. At
other times octopuses have been known to attack the divers down below,
and hold them relentlessly under water until life was extinct. One of
our own men had a terribly narrow escape from one of these fearful
creatures. I must explain, however, that occasionally when the divers
returned from pearl-fishing, they used to rope all their little skiffs
together and let them lie astern of the schooner. Well, one night the
wind rose and rain fell heavily, with the result that next morning all
the little boats were found more or less water-logged. Some of the
Malays were told off to go and bale them out. Whilst they were at work
one of the men saw a mysterious-looking black object in the sea, which so
attracted his curiosity that he dived overboard to find out what it was.
He had barely reached the water, however, when an immense octopus rose
into view, and at once made for the terrified man, who instantly saw his
danger, and with great presence of mind promptly turned and scrambled
back into the boat.

The terrible creature was after him, however, and to the horror of the
onlookers it extended its great flexible tentacles, enveloped the entire
boat, man and all, and then dragged the whole down into the clear depths.
The diver's horrif