Page:The Boy Travellers in Australasia.djvu/425

Rh bank, where he died. As for himself, he had a narrow escape with his life; and to prove the truth of his story, he had brought home the skin of the once valuable beast.

"The squatter believed the story, blamed himself for sending the man on such a dangerous mission, and gave him ten sovereigns as a reward for his fidelity and compensation for his wetting. The man left the place soon afterwards for another part of the colony; months later the squatter saw his horse advertised for sale, and on inquiry found how he had been imposed upon."

From anecdotes about horses and bush-rangers the conversation turned upon the pearl-fishery on the northern coast of Queensland.

"It is quite an extensive industry," said Mr. Watson, "and employs a considerable number of men. The exports of pearl-shell from Queensland for the year 1885 were 13,189 hundred-weight, valued at £87,110, or $400,000; and in some years the product has exceeded that amount. Other parts of Australia produce pearl-shell and pearls, and altogether the fishery is a very important one."