a line of steamers running between BRISBANE AND SINGAPORE. A survey of such portions of the mail route as lay in her way, therefore,
became a part of the " Basilisk's " objective, and it was with much
satisfaction that NAVIGATING LIEUTENANT CONNOR, R.N., was
added to the surveying staff.
Reaching CARD WELL (SEE MAP K) on 2nd January, 1873, MORESBY went ashore to see MR. BRINSLEY SHERIDAN, the Police Magistrate, by whom he was informed that " the pearl-shellers had received warning that the new Kidnapping Act, which rendered the employment of natives illegal, without licence, had come into force, and that they knew of the ' Basilisk's ' coming, and were clearing out of the straits as fast as possible," "on which," says Moresby, "I determined to make all haste north."
On 5th January, the two schooners, the "Melanie" with fifty-five, and the "Challenge" with thirty-three South Sea Islanders on board, were captured and taken to FITZROY ISLAND.[1] As the result of an investigation held there, it appeared that the islanders, who had been employed as divers in Torres Strait, had, in many cases, understood that their service was to be of limited duration, whereas some of them had served for six years, for nothing more than food, clothing and tobacco. Others stated that they had shipped voluntarily ; some were on the ships' books as having been legally engaged at Sydney ; seven alleged that they had been " kidnapped " ; others, according to their own account, had been run down in their canoe by a schooner named the " Maria Renny" and taken on board ; while another had been " seized from a reef." There is nothing to show that the officers of the schooners were given an opportunity of presenting their side of the story, beyond the statement that " to secure themselves from the penalties of the new Act, the pearl-shellers had induced these natives to sign an agreement to serve them for five months from August, and had fixed wages for them." " After the investigation," says Moresby, " we sent the vessels as prizes to Sydney, where they were condemned ; but on a subsequent appeal to the Privy Council, the highest appeal court for the colonies, the vessels were restored, on paying all costs connected with the case, on the grounds that retrospective evidence could not be entertained and that an intention to procure a licence had been proved."
While the "Basilisk" lay at anchor off Fitzroy Island, and the investigation was in progress, the poor " slaves " had a merry time diving and scrubbing her copper sheathing. As " some eighty " of them (out of a possible eighty-eight) were engaged at once in this pastime, it was evidently a very popular amusement.
On 8th January, the barque " Woodbine " was taken as a prize. She had on board 20 tons of pearl-shell, gathered by coloured
- ↑ Off Cape Grafton. See Map G.
