Interview with John Douglas, Brisbane, 15 June 1893

The Telegraph (Brisbane), Thursday, 15 June 1893, p. 5

AUSTRALIA’S GIBRALTAR. Thursday Island.

HON. JOHN DOUGLAS (GOVERNMENT RESIDENT) INTERVIEWED.

Torres Straits a Cosmopolitan Community. BRITISH NEW GUINEA.

Pearlshell Fisheries and Coloured Labour.

The Hon. John Douglas, C.M.G., Government Resident at Thursday Island, an outpost which has—not without reason—been called the Gibraltar of Australia, is now in Brisbane on official business. He very courteously granted an interview to a Telegraph representative at the Belle Vue Hotel yesterday, when in the course of conversation matters of interest connected with Thursday Island, the islands of Torres Straits, British New Guinea, and the extremity of York’s Peninsula were touched upon. The recent outrages committed by aborigines from the mainland, employed on beche-de-mer and pearl-shelling boats, were first referred to.

“For the past two years,” said Mr. Douglas, “the relations between Europeans and the aborigines have been of a most friendly character, and I greatly regret the outrages which have recently taken place. We have become acquainted with the natives for nearly 200 miles on the western side of Yorke’s Peninsula, and anyone can now go amongst the aborigines on that line of coast with safety. The Moravian missionaries at Cullen Point, near the Batavia river, deserve a good deal of credit for this change, for their work has already been productive of very great results. As much progress has not been made with the natives on the eastern side of the peninsula, however.”

“What is the present condition of the natives on the islands in Torres Straits, Mr. Douglas?”

“They are well behaved and exceedingly tractable. On Murray Island there is a school which has an average attendance of 80 children. The pupils are very intelligent, and their parents are quite willing that their children should attend regularly and submit to discipline. A schoolmaster has lately been appointed, and the Government have supplied the children with a stock of school material, that has proved useful. The children take a particular interest in arithmetic, but they are a little backward in learning the English language.”

“At Thursday Island you have a very cosmopolitan population?”

“A census was taken on May 18, which showed that very clearly. Here is a complete return of the population on that day:—

	Male	Female	Total
Europeans	165	197	362
South Sea Islanders	154	2	156
Chinese	61	0	61
Japanese	151	28	179
East Indians	10	1	11
Malays	150	21	171
Phillipine Islanders	192	15	207
West Indians	11	0	11
Javanese	16	2	18
Mexicans	2	0	2
Cingalese	32	0	32
Other nations	22	6	28
Aborigines	135	68	203
Totals	1,101	340	1,441

“The Japanese make a very respectable total. Yes; but they are an intelligent and enterprising people, learning the English language and adapting themselves to our habits very quickly. I have known Japanese to work with an English dictionary for hours in the evening for the purpose of acquiring our language. Some time ago, you may remember, one Tommy Japan and a party of his fellow-countrymen gained the first prize in a large sweep on the Melbourne Cup. These men returned to Japan, and there is no doubt that their wealth made them effective advertisements for Australia. Many of the Japanese who have recently arrived, and who, by the way, paid their own passages, came because of the sensation caused in a portion of Japan by Tommy’s fortunate win.”

“The Japanese are reported to be getting an undesirably prominent position in the pearl-shelling trade as owners of boats. Is that the case?”

“By reason of their intelligence and perseverance the Japanese quickly rise from the position of employees to that of owners of boats and employers of labour. I do not think that so far they have an unduly large hold on the fishing industry, but it is quite possible that if they come to the Straits in too great numbers the effect may be to reduce the scale of wages to an objectionable degree. On the other hand Europeans are at present engaged in the pearl-shelling industry in larger numbers than formerly. The Japanese, I may add, carry on operations in a fair manner, though they not unfrequently quarrel amongst themselves.”

“Do Papuans work in the fisheries?”

“Natives of British New Guinea are employed only to a limited extent at present. They have to be shipped at ports in the possession, and they are subject to the regulations of the British New Guinea Government, which so far are not over-liberal. Sir William MacGregor, however, seems inclined to encourage the employment of Papuans provided he has control over them. This race will in the future certainly be a most important element in the development of the maritime resources of Torres Straits as well as of the possession.”

“How are the fisheries rewarding those engaged in them?”

“The state of the market for pearlshell is at present discouraging. Shell that in June, 1892, was worth £120 per ton at Thursday Island will not now fetch more than £90; the agents will not give more. Of course there is a wide difference in the quality of shell, which is classed in London. I do not think there can be any great extension of the beche-de-mer fishery. Prices, however, keep up well, though the market is limited.”

“The pearling fleet is on the increase, is it not?”

“A considerable increase in the number of boats employed has taken place, but the quantity of shell obtained has not been proportionately increased. There is a tendency to adopt the floating station system, which is carried out on the north-west coast of Australia. In this system a fleet of small sailing boats is attended by a schooner, and the boats are thus enabled to go further afield than is possible when the station is established on an island.”

“The deaths of divers from paralysis came under your notice, I presume?”

“Some rich patches of shell have been discovered in the neighbourhood of Darnley Island, which lies about midway between Thursday Island and New Guinea. The shell is in deep water, and its richness has tempted divers accustomed to work in from 10 to 15 fathoms to go down 20 and 30 fathoms. In operating at this increased depth some divers work in too great a hurry. They descend and ascend quickly, attempt to get as much shell as possible when down, and do not rest sufficiently between each descent. I am informed that there is no danger in diving in deep water, provided the men work leisurely and observe certain precautions. The recent fatalities, however, have drawn attention to the necessity for improvements in diving dresses, so as to lessen the bad effects of the pressure of the water.”

“What is the general position of the divers?”

“They are in most cases paid a percentage on the quantity of shell obtained. Those who died at Darnley Island were nearly all working on their own account. Divers as a rule both sail the boats and decide where they shall work. A patch of good shell of course means a large profit to divers, just as a rich patch of gold handsomely rewards miners; and the hope of getting rich quickly causes many of the divers to take risks that are by no means small, as the numerous deaths from paralysis prove.”

“What is the effect of your observations of British New Guinea matters?”

“The native inhabitants of the Possession now enjoy peace by reason of confidence in the Government, and in a few years, I believe, the change for the good will be even more marked than at present. Already natives are travelling along the coast in a way that would have been attended with great danger a few years ago. At the time that Great Britain took possession tobacco was used as currency in dealings with the natives, but now at many places English coin is in circulation. As to products, a good deal of sandalwood is being exported from British New Guinea, and some india-rubber of good quality has been sent to London.”

“Do you think that the increased confidence among the natives which you speak of will tend to an increase in industry on their part?”

“Undoubtedly; the natives along the coast of British New Guinea, with the exception of the north-east coast, as well as the natives of the islands to the eastward, now look to the Government of the possession for protection against the inroads of hostile tribes. In the past the natives were to a large extent employed in killing each other. Not that they are a warlike race, for their method of warfare was to sneak upon each other’s villages, and so long as a man, or even a woman or child was killed, they were satisfied. The death of an enemy was so much to the good of the attacking party and a corresponding loss to the tribe attacked. A common saying heard among the natives is ‘We can sleep at night now.’

“It was formerly the custom for the men in a village to keep watch at night in order to prevent, or at least be prepared, for any attack that might be made. Now, however, all in the villages sleep in comfort, and as a result of this and the cessation of internecine strife the men have to look for more peaceable employment. They are planting more cocoanuts than they did in the past, for the purpose of selling the fruit in the form of copra. Indeed, there is a very marked improvement in the industry of the natives, consequent on the peace secured by British administration. Picked natives make excellent policemen, and the opinion once held that they could not be intrusted with such duties has been removed. There is now no necessity for men to be brought from Fiji or the Solomon Islands to carry out the work of constables.

“A remarkable incident, tending to show the change in the condition of the country that I have referred to, occurred during May, when some canoes from Cloudy Bay visited Port Moresby. This would have been impossible a few years ago, as the Cloudy Bay natives were then dangerous and warlike people. The object of their visit to the settlement was to get work, and I believe they were successful in securing it. The natives of Eastern New Guinea are very fine sailors, and in that respect they differ from the natives in the west. It follows that with the Possession in a state of peace the native population will increase. The Papuans are not a prolific people, having but few children in a family, but now that tribal massacres are practically at an end we may look for an increase in the population.”

“Has anything new transpired in connection with mission work in the possession?”

“I hear that the missionaries of all the churches in the field, at a conference recently held at the eastern portion of the possession, determined to adopt the English language in teaching the natives. The missionaries—and I think they are right—have come to the conclusion that it is necessary that there should be agreement on this point in order to achieve success. Hitherto the Motu language has been the lingua Franca of New Guinea, though it is really spoken only in a limited area. The variety of dialects in the country is very great, and it has evidently been concluded that if the natives are to mix with Europeans and to be educated the sooner they are familiarised with the English language the better. Of course it will to the natives be almost like learning Latin, but in view of the many conflicting dialects in the country the decision of the missionaries to make English the standard language is a wise one.”

In conclusion, Mr. Douglas referred to two improvements at Thursday Island, one the Quetta memorial church and the other the federal fortifications. The church will be a very beautiful concrete building when completed, but at present only the chancel and nave are being built. As to the fortifications they have been thoroughly well constructed, and the garrison should be most comfortable in the barracks. Mr. Douglas thinks that a difficulty will be experienced in finding work for the soldiers, unless they are partly employed in road making and in improving the cantonments.