No. 4 (i9U) 



INDIAN BFXHE-DE-MER 



133 



operation. Any boiled juice left overnight in the pans, if this 

 happens frequently, will quickly eat into the iron and destroy the 

 pan in a short time. For the same reason copper or brass vessels 

 and utensils must be rigorously avoided. A case is on record 

 where a copper pan being used as a boiler, the beche-de-mer boiled 

 in it took up so much copper salts that several deaths resulted 

 from its consumption in China and the particular grade fell in 

 niarket value enormously from the discredit that thereby attached 

 to it.' 



The total outturn weights of the material cured from August 

 to October 1916 were as follows : — 



Large and medium sizes (Nos. I and II) ... 1,997 lb. 



Small (No. Ill), including smoked ... ... 799 „ 



Total 



2,796 lb. 



COSTS AND CHARGES. 

 To descend to exact financial particulars, the operations at 

 Tirupalakudi during the three months from August to October 

 1916, which may be reckoned as the first half-season, entailed 

 expenditure as follows : — 



Capital expenditure : — 



295 7 8 



Labour (curer's and assistant curer's wages, etc.) .. 79 3 2 



Fuel 70 7 9 



Sundries ... 31 12 10 



Supervision (half of the chank gumastah's wages for 6 



months) ... 60 o o 



Total running charges 



536 15 5 



^ Saville-Kent, toe cH., p. 239. 



