354 THE OCEAN, 



which floats on the Indian waters, a species of 

 Gelidium, which can be reduced, by boiling or soak- 

 ing in water, almost entirely into a clear jelly. It 

 is probable, however, that the substance undergoes 

 some preparation in the stomach of the bird before 

 it is applied, or eise that the filaments are cemented 

 by a glutinous saliva. 



No inconsiderable part of the cargoes of the 

 return junks is made up of a sea-weed called agar- 

 agar, collected upon the coasts of Malacca. Boats 

 go out to procure it from the reefs on which it 

 grows, when it is well washed in the rivers, dried, 

 and packed in baskets. It grows in small bunches, 

 with long and narrow fronds resembling shreds, of 

 a light-yellow hue. The finest portions are used 

 in China to make a clear, tasteless jelly ; while the 

 coarser parts are boiled down into a strong and sub- 

 stantial glue, "used in the manufacture of furniture 

 and lacquered ware. A size is also produced from 

 it, for stiffening paper and silk. In Canton, this 

 substance produces from twenty to thirty -five shil- 

 lings per hundredweight. It is, however, light in 

 proportion to its bulk. It is probable that this is 

 the species described by botanists by the name of 

 Gracillaria tenax, of which 27,000 pounds are said 

 to be annually imported into China, and of which 

 windows are made. 



Another important article of traffic with the Chi- 

 nese, is the animal called by them trepang, the beche 

 de mer [Holutharia). There are several species of 

 these animals, which are curious creatures. Gene- 

 rally, they have some resemblance in form to a 



