Page:Papers of William Shakespeare Hall, 1861–1895.pdf/149

 ful and the pearling being now developed, he embarked in that industry with Malays (he procured from Java). The venture proved fairly successful. Throwing this up, he want ashore again, and with a partner started pearl buying. This proved most lucrative, but a sudden drop in prices discourage him and his partner and they decided to dissolve. Mr. Hall again turning his attention and energies to business but they were not successfully applied; and he determined to quit the mercantile sphere for good. He went in for pearling with natives, and worked his boats off and on for several years with varying luck; but losing two boats at different times in hurricanes, the second nearly costing him his life, he became discouraged and came on shore, to mend his broken fortunes. As years began to advance he retired from active employment. He was made a councillor at the port and was twice raised to the civic honour of Chairman of the Town Council, which position he held at the time of his death. He always took a keen interest in public affairs, especially those connected with the north, and was a bold and fearless advocate of the need of separating from the south.

To hark back to the time when Gregory's expedition party were on board the "Dolphin" in Nicol Bay, the crew used to go on the reefs and find m.o.p. shells, which they used to search for pearls and then throw them away. Mr. Hall told the sailors they were throwing away half crowns; and so they saved them. When they reached Fremantle a