CORAL. TES 
net with large meshes, into which the coral branches fall as they 
are detached. 
The corals thus fished up are always mixed with the poly- 
pidoms of other animals, and also with marine plants. In times 
long past coral was fished for by means of a diving-bell, in which 
a man was let down to the bottom of the sea; in this way it was 
gathered pure and unbroken. 
In 1857, M. Focillon showed the possibility of using the diving- 
boat of Lamiral and Payerne for gathering in the coral harvest. 
In some places the fishers dive into great depths and gather the 
coral by hand. 
In spite of the advantages offered by the French govern- 
ment, and the value of the coral, the fisheries in the Straits 
of Bonifacio and on the African coast are chiefly carried on by 
foreign sailors. In 1852, the coral gatherers in the Straits of 
Bonifacio were all Italians; and the proceeds of the fishery only 
produced £1,600. In 1853, upon the 211 boats which were 
engaged upon the African coast, there were only nineteen French- 
men, the greater part being Neapolitans. According to the returns, 
the coasts of Bona and Calle furnished, in 1853, about 80,000 
pounds weight of coral, which was chiefly bought by the merchants 
of Naples, at about twenty-five shillings a pound. Many of the 
boats, whose total expenses would not reach £320, gathered 800 
to 1,000 pounds of coral, and therefore realised a profit of £800. 
In the same year the fishing on the west coast was taken 
by a Spanish company, who secured in every expedition 700 or 
800 pounds of coral. 
The ancients prized coral greatly, and attributed to it mar- 
vellous powers. The Gauls adorned with it their helmets, their 
shields, and other weapons of war. The Romans wore pieces of 
coral as amulets, and as ornaments pleasing to their gods. They 
made necklaces of it which were supposed to preserve their new- 
born infants from contagious diseases; and under many circum- 
stances they believed that preparations of coral were excellent 
remedies for the sick. It is no great time since, even in France, 
this notion was held. Lémery believed that it raised the spirits. 
It certainly possesses one quality—it can clean the teeth ; but then 
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