1^2 



CORALS 



the European traders into touch with the commerce of the 

 East, and this led to an increased activity and interest in the 

 coral fisheries of the Mediterranean Sea. The Venetians, 

 Genoese, Corsicans, and Moors carried on the trade with the 

 various fluctuations of success that followed their struggles 

 for the supremacy of the sea. 



It is probable that the fisheries in shallow water on the 

 north side of the Mediterranean Sea were already showing 

 signs of exhaustion and that envious eyes were cast on the 

 richer coral beds that were known to exist off the coasts of 

 Algeria and Morocco, but the dangers of 

 the voyage across the sea to waters infested 

 with pirates and controlled by a powerful 

 and hostile empire of Mohammedans held 

 in check this source of supply for the 

 Europeans of the North. 



In the year 1535, however, an alliance 

 was concluded between the French and 

 the Turks with reference to the control of 

 the north coast of Africa, and this was 

 followed by the " Concessions d'Afrique " 

 by which, in 1580, a monopoly of the 

 coral fishery from Cape Roux to La 

 Sebouse was granted by Henri IIL of 

 France, with the consent of the Emperor 

 Soliman II., to a French trading compan3\ 

 The first President of this company was 

 one Thomas Lenche, a Corsican by birth, but a naturalised 

 French citizen of Marseilles. Lenche made a large fortune 

 by his trade in coral, and he was succeeded by his son 

 and his grandson in the business, but in later years inter- 

 national disputes and warfare brought new difficulties and 

 made the monopoly far less profitable.^ 



The trade in coral has continued from medie\'al times 

 with various fluctuations to the present day, although many 



1 The subsequent history of the company and of the battles of the 

 French for the command of the coral fishery on the north coast of Africa 

 is fully related in the works of P. Masson : " Les Compagnies du Corail," 

 Annales de la Faculti des Lettres d'Aix, vol. i., 1907 ; Histoire des 

 elablissements et du commerce fraticais dans I'Afrique barbaresqiie, 1903. 



Fig. 1 10. — Trade 

 mark of the First 

 Coral Company. 

 From ilasson. 



