Part 14 (1/2)

”But you never sa can you talk about a snohite pearl?”

”Mister, I bin steward boy on beeg steamer I been eberywhere I bin in London, I bin in Antwerp I bin see snow all over That how I talk about my snow pearl I tell you my yarn”

Hassan sarette, rolled the incense--thrifty sue, perave his story

”I bin deck hand on pearling lugger To be spell about ind puhy Two or three times I dibe--notfor that so heavy work One hy Tooshell up, Boss he open ebery one--chuck hy, I tell you! My heart he stand--he carn go He stop altogether I carn look!

feel 'e

White like snow Pretty--lobley My heart inside go ponch, quick like that, I hear 'e my shi+rt No one look out My pearl!

I whistle for nothing; putin my pucket Go on my work, steady Heart ju , but no all the sa er here My heart easy now I think ood luck come I say e meat, wash her down

My three pearls inside ood friend, my countryman from Aden, Ali I tell 'eht--neber tell nothing You hab one good friend, one countryood friend But you no tell 'e ofBoss he on board schooner I see him look me Quick I think, 'Hassan, youout 'Hassan!' I ga out loud 'Hassan! You, boy! Co out 'Coo longa lugger first tie Call out smart--'Coht he ht shoot with revolver I pull up to schooner; entlemen, 'hello, Hassan! Good-day Why you no co out first tier' He say, 'Well,back How you getting on?

You co time Come down below' 'All up,' I say myself hello! Nother lasses--eberything Boss he say, 'Come, lass ruib ood ruib yourself nother ruood ruood friend I feel happy Boss shake hand, he say--'Hassan, very good boy' I gib ht He say quiet--'Hassan, aof you' He talk loud--'Hassan, you hab soa side gangway I look straight

I feel cold I say, 'No, Boss, I hab nothing' He talk ht I put my hand to my pucket I pull out pearl I aa table I shout--'There you blurry pearl!' Boss catch 'em quick He say 'Get out ib ib you kick!' I go

”You see, Mister ood friend, my countryman, he tell Boss about ot two ood like my snow pearl I aamble fantan I no care

Soon I hab no pearl at all I hab no work I a to ood friend I am reech man of o to my country, back from Aden, I carn drink coffee I am too poor, I drink coffee frolesh, and Frinch, and Turkey men”

”What do you lesh chuck away outside We poor Arab dry that outside, smash 'em up like flour, boil 'em for coffee All inside coffee we hab to sell, so poor that country Mister, I bin tell true ”

CHAPTER VI

IN PRAISE OF THE PAPAW

Properties varied and approaching the ical have been ascribed to one of the commonest plants of North Queensland; and yet how trivial and prosaic are the honours bestowed upon it That which th of man; which is a sweet and excellent food, and which provides medicine for various ills, cannot be said to lack many of the attributes of the elixir of life, and is surely entitled to a special paean in a land languishi+ng for population

Distinctive and significant as the virtues possessed by the papaw are, yet because of its universality and because it yields its fruits with little labour, it gets but scant courtesy It is tolerated merely; but if we had it not, if it were as far as that vast shore washed by the farthest sea, men would adventure for suchof wonise in the everyday papaw one of the ifts of kindly Nature?

Some ell in temperate climes claim for the apple and the onion superlative qualities In the papaw the excellences of both are blended and combined The onion may induce to slumber, but the sleep it produces is it not a trifle too balh standard of statesmanshi+p of an A influences of apples For every day for thirty years he has, to the exclusion of all other food, lunched on that fruit Possibly the papaw rape, lee, pomelo, and the strawberry, each in the estimation of special enthusiasts, is proclaimed the panacea for many of the ills of life One writer cites cases in which maniacs have been restored to reason by the exclusive use of cherries The apple, they say, too, gives to the face of the fair ruddiness, but the tint is it not too bold, compared with htly understands the use of the vital principle of the papaw? Those who have complexions to retain or restore let them understand and be fair