ECONOMIC VALUE OF CUTTLE-FISHES. 85 



Western America look upon them as the proverbial alderman 

 regards turtle, and devour them with the same gusto and relish ; 



Karkenah, who form long lanes and labyrinths in the shallows by planting the 

 butt ends of palm branches at short distances from each other, and these 

 constructions extend over spaces of two or more miles. On the ebb of the tides 

 which in the Little Syrtis is considerable (ten feet), thus differing from the rest 

 of the Mediterranean, the octopods are found in the pools inside the inclosures, 

 and are easily collected by the fishermen, who string them in bunches, called 

 *' risma," and from eight to ten of these, each containing 50 fish, are secured 

 daily through the season by every boat's crew of four men. The produce of this 

 fishery could apparently be considerably augmented by the increased construction 

 of palm butt labyrinths, which appear to have a peculiar attraction for the polypi, 

 but it is doubtful whether the demand for octopods is capable of further develop- 

 ment, for the consumption of this product is restricted to the countries where 

 the rigours of the fast of the Orthodox Greek Church are still observed. 



The Tunisian Government claims a third of all the polypi fished upon its 

 coast. The native fishermen, in general, sell their octopods to the merchants 

 in anticipation, the latter making them pecuniary advances, four or five months 

 before the season, at a stipulated price for the fish, which is seldom, however, 

 below 20J-. the cwt. Should the fishennen fail to supply the quantity con- 

 tracted for, the merchant is entitled to demand that they should procure for 

 him the requisite weight of fish elsewhere ; but this power is rarely enforced, a 

 new agreement being more frequently entered into for the coming season, on 

 proportionately favourable terms for the purchaser. Another practice is also 

 followed for the purchase of octopods. The merchant makes an advance to 

 the fishermen a month before the season, and receives back the value of his 

 money at the first public sale, at the current price, with an addition in his 

 favour of 5 per cent, on the amount disbursed. 



The octopus has hitherto been prepared for exportation by simply salting 

 and drying, but it is now preserved either in oil or brine, after subjecting it to 

 a preliminary scouring and boiling process. 



The price for octopods varies considerably, according to the size, supply, and 

 demand ; but at Sfax a pair of fresh fish may cost, as circumstances inile, from 

 (id. to \s. 3^/. However, the preparatory maceration, by beating on a stone 

 slab or rock, required before drying, entails a small additional expense, and 

 brings the extremes of low and high prices to 25^. or 50^. per cwt. To the 

 cost price must be added an export duty of 5j. \d., and the purchaser ought 

 to be careful to receive his merchandise from the seller during dry weather, as 

 a damp day will add from 4 to 5 per cent, to the weight of every cwt. 



Malta receives the largest part of the Tunisian octopods, but they are only 

 sent to that island for ultimate transmission to Greece and other parts of the 

 Levant. Portugal is one of the few countries that competes with Tunis in 



