70 CRAB, SHRIMP, AND LOBSTER LORE. 



iug-parties, who sally forth, torch in hand, and thread 

 the intricate mazes amongst the coral ponds and lagunes, 

 making night hideous by their fiendish shouts, and 

 wild, weird proceedings. The bright moon-light nights 

 so enjoyable within the tropics, are also taken advan- 

 tage of, for slug- catching purposes, when great quantities 

 of average worth are not unfrequently procured. The 

 inferior sorts are usually gathered by the idlers and 

 children of the islands, who wander about in the rock 

 pools left by the receding tide, and pick up all they 

 can there discover. The trader obtains the various 

 kinds and qualities from the slug-hunters, and at once 

 proceeds to select them according to their market value. 

 Benches are erected, on which they are first cut open 

 with sharp knives, cleansed, and placed without water 

 in very large cauldrons to cook. The juices thrown 

 out by the Trepang are sufficient to prepare him in, and 

 prevent his becoming too dry in the kettle stage of the 

 operation. 



From the boiling department they are removed to 

 large wooden sheds, erected for drying them in. Here 

 they are arranged on shelves placed one over the other, 

 where they are constantly turned and most carefully 

 attended to ; huge wood fires being kept burning to 

 expedite the process, as it is essential that the slugs 

 should be completely freed from even the slightest sus- 

 picion of moisture before they are packed for deposit 



