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Shell necklace
When I was not busy buying shells or out with Reg, I usually went out with the local fishermen or with the luggers on their
pearl diving ventures. Some of these trips leave me with very happy memories. Others were dismal failures and sometimes quite
miserable trips. One trip from Thursday Island off the South coast of New Guinea was a whole week of hardships. We were four
on a 27 foot boat, with only two bunks available, and I camped on deck, with only a blanket as a shelter against rain and
spray. Everything seemed to happen on that nasty trip. The boat leaked like a "Tahitian bait basket" and had to be pumped
every hour or so. Then, we hit a reef and nearly lost the boat. Two days of strenuous work got it afloat. Another evening,
the anchor broke loose and the boat went drifting among treacherous reefs in the middle of the night. Then the dingy broke
loose and was lost. Then…
Well, I was only a guest in that party, but I could not help telling the "captain" what I thought about his seamanship. He
didn't mind, though, and proved it by hitting another reef on the way back. When we crawled into harbor late one night I
swore under my breath that I would never set my foot on a boat again. Of course, two days later, I was off again on some wild
goose chase… How on earth can I get rid of that shell bug… !
Well, these thrilling adventures only lasted three very short months. When time came to go home, I planned my trip back
through the Barrier Reef on small boats, which is a real sight indeed. I did not get a chance to do much shelling, but I did
quite a lot of trading on the way down to Brisbane and Sydney and acquired some beautiful and rare shells, including Cypraea
hirasei, saulae nugata, melwardi, Voluta grossi , grayi, jamrachi aulica, & norrisi oblita, three unnamed species, dozens of
new Murex, Conus and Strombus for my collection, plus scores of miscellaneous species. When I landed in New Caledonia, I had
over twenty cartons of shells to my credit, and this fascinating trip was well worth while, if only for the fine people I met
on the way. I feel sure that nothing in this world can fetch more and better friends than our fascinating hobby.
The illustrated C. caurica elongata Perry, 1811, has the typical blackish-brown dorsum and blond base of melanistic
specimens; the shell is grossly rostrate, teeth having shifted into the aperture, which is rather dilated anteriorly. Photos
- Cernohorsky - mag. x1.5
"From all I can learn, the Golden Cowries taken from this section, Manay, Davao Province alone, are around 20. Eleven for me
with this one reserved for you; four to a certain Mrs. Tajanlangit, a public school teacher who is no longer with us; and
about four or five to a certain engineer of a commercial boat who paid $30.00 each and later sold them in Davao to other
shell collectors; Mrs. Sarenas was able to get two; Mrs. Joaquin, one or two, and one or two went to others whom I do not
know. The said engineer traded each at $100.00. Of the eleven I got, I am still the proud possessor of six of them which are
registered in the Children's Museum of Honolulu.
"I am already in the thick of my promised article about the occurrence of the Golden Cowry in this part of the Philippines,
but I have certain doubts about my English as I am just an amateur in this rich language and I do not command it really.
Besides, as an amateur collector I do not want to create an atmosphere of controversial opinion in view of my meager
knowledge of the subject matter. I am fully convinced though that the Golden Cowry is a shallow water shell and can only be
taken at night time by experienced divers. If some were taken in deep water in the past, it is my humble opinion they were
dead specimens which had sunk to deeper levels and were then found by divers.
"It might also be possible that the natives of Fiji, over-jealous of their find and just to keep it secret, would tell all
and sundry that it is a deep water shell. What is true in this place might also be true in other places, don't you think so?
"We are still looking for other Golden Cowries which might turn up any moment. As a matter of fact, everybody seems eager to
have one in his or her collection. For this reason I am now receiving lots of letters and inquiries about this already famous
shell. So much for this item.
[signed,] "Lahora"
Evidence concerning the finding of the Golden Cowry in other localities in the Philippines is very meager. Donald Dan, of
Manila, while in Honolulu during July of 1962, was asked this question. He replied that he had been told that they had been
found, but very rarely, in the Province of Suragao. "About once a year I hear these reports," he said, but gave no further
information. Suragao is a long string bean-like province, also on the eastern coast of the Island of Mindanao just north of
Mr. Lahora's Davao Province, and all of it within ten degrees north of the equator. We did not have the address of any shell
collector in this province, so we did not pursue this lead any further.
Apparently then, the Pacific shore of the southernmost island of the Philippines may well be regarded as near the western
limit of the range of this shell. Dr. Alison Kay, who looked up the record when she was in London, says the British Museum
has a record of one being collected on the Island of Java. But for all practical purposes it may be said that the 120
meridian East may be considered the western limits of the Golden Cowry's range. There is no record of any every having been
found in the Indian Ocean.
As to the eastern limits of the shell's range Dr. Kay reports that three have been found in the Tuamotus, according to
records in the British Museum. Our investigations did not confirm this, but we do have well authenticated cases of three
being collected in the Society Islands (French Polynesia), These islands are immediately west of the Tuamotus and include
Tahiti. Our information was obtained from Mr. G. Tourres, a very active and well informed shell collector, who lived there
for several years. He is now living in Noumea, New Caledonia. Below is the pertinent part of Mr. Tourres' letter:
"This is an answer to your inquiry about Cypraea aurantium. I have no personal experience about this fine shell, but I can
tell you a few places where they were collected. "Two years ago, in 1960, while I was still in French Polynesia, three live
C. aurantium were collected in less than a year at the following localities: One at Tahaa (an island five miles away from
Raiatea, Leeward Group, Society Islands). This island of Tahaa is situated inside of the same barrier reef as Raiatea. This
beautiful specimen was collected outside of the barrier reef in about 20 feet of water. It was hidden at the bottom of a
narrow crevice and the native who found the shell had to dive about 15 times before he could pinch the shell between the
barbs of his spear. In the process he about ruined the shell as he scratched it all over on the barbs of his spear. I saw
that shell in Tahiti a week later and it was really a beauty, about the size of a medium size Tiger cowry.
"Then, two more were collected during two weeks interval in the district of Avera on the North Coast of Raiatea. These two
were collected inside the barrier reef. That is not in the lagoon, but close to the reef edge in about six feet of water.
These were also alive, but smaller than the first specimen mentioned. One was sold for 6,000 Tahitian francs ($70.00). I do
not know what became of the third."
(To be continued.)
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