came up from the bottom, and was assisted into the boat. A little blood
trickled from his nose and ears, and he appeared altogether much
exhausted. No wonder. He had not indeed remained down at any time more
than a minute and a half, but he had dived nearly fifty times that day,
and sent up a basket containing a hundred pearl oysters each time.

Presently the man who had just descended reappeared. He also looked
fagged, but after a short rest prepared again to descend. He had been
under water about ninety seconds. Few divers can remain longer. The
average time is one minute and a half, sometimes two minutes. It is
said that these men are short-lived, and we can well believe it, for
their work, although performed only during a short period of each year,
is in violent opposition to the laws of nature.

Directing his men to row on, our skipper soon came to another boat,
which not only arrested his attention but aroused his curiosity, for
never before had he seen so strange a sight. It was a large boat with
novel apparatus on board of it, and white men--in very strange costume.
In fact it was a party of European divers using the diving-dress among
the pearl-fishers of Ceylon, and great was the interest they created, as
well as the unbelief, scepticism, misgiving, and doubt which they drew
forth--for, although not quite a novelty in those waters, the dress was
new to many of the natives present on that occasion, and Easterns, not
less than Westerns, are liable to prejudice!

A large concourse of boats watched the costuming of the divers, and
breathless interest was aroused as they went calmly over the side and
remained down for more than an hour, sending up immense quantities of
oysters. Of course liberal-minded men were made converts on the spot,
and, equally of course, the narrow-minded remained "of the same opinion
still." Nevertheless, that day's trial of Western ingenuity has borne
much fruit, for we are now told, by the best authorities, that at the
present time the diving-dress is very extensively used in sponge, pearl,
and coral fisheries in many parts of the world where naked divers alone
were employed not many years ago; and that in the Greek Archipelago and
on the Turkish and Barbary coasts alone upwards of three hundred diving
apparatuses are employed in the sponge fisheries, with immense advantage
to all concerned and to the world at large.

Leaving this interesting sight, our Malay skipper threade