torresstraitislands

Dobo was a trade hub connecting various trade points in the eastern part of Oost Indie, as the Dutch called it during the colonization period. It linked Banda, Ambon, Gorom, Tual, and Papua and contributed to the fortunes of traders in exotic commodities exclusively found in the east. Although in the past, many praus (wooden boats) embarked from its port, today the economy in Dobo is not as advanced as those of its neighboring islands, such as Ambon. Source: www.insideindonesia.org/photo-essay-looking-for-dobo

Torres Strait pearl-shelling was almost entirely dependent on imported indentured labour from both Asia and the Pacific, the crew of the Combination's Three Cheers fleet being typical – 3 Europeans, 40 Japanese, 23 Filipinos, 12 Malays, 35 South Sea Islanders and 20 New Guineans.40 By the late 1890s, divers were having to go deeper for shell, and the majority were Japanese, who were the very best. Deep water full-dress helmet diving was not only dangerous, but a highly skilled occupation, and it took two or three years to train good men. Source: www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/21533369.2005.9668351

When the pearling season commences on the Aru Islands, each of the three major boat types—sampans, belangs and junkos—are involved in collecting and transporting shell. Sampans: The sampans, dugouts of 3 to 6 meters that sometimes car-ried outriggers and a sail (and in Dobo even an outboard motor), are a multi-purpose inshore craft. They are employed in fishing, general transport, and pearl shell gath-ering. Many people could make sampans, and one could be con-structed at short notice anywhere on the Aru Islands. Belangs: The belangs seen on the foreshore at Dobo come in from villages, bringing pearl shell or copra (dried coconut) for sale. Usually there is a whole family on board. Junkos:The typical junko is a 10- to 20-meter-fong plank on-frame carvel-built vessel, with a counter stern, ketch rig and diesel engine. Source: www.penn.museum/sites/expedition/sampans-belangs-and-junkos/