i96 ANNUAL REGISTER, ISl^. 



«lrument is let down hy two ropes 

 from the boats employed in this 

 fishery into the sea, and after re- 

 maining a sufficient time it is 

 drawn up by a windlass. The 

 Trapanese claim the invention of 

 this machine. 



From my own observations, and 

 from the most accurate informa- 

 tion I have been able to obtain 

 from the people employed in this 

 fishery, 1 am persuaded, that the 

 coral grows indiscriminately on all 

 hard substances, as rocks, shells, 

 &c. — 1 have seen it attached to an 

 earthen vessel, which had at some 

 time fallen into the sea, and was 

 taken out in my presence. The 

 usual appearance of coral is that of 

 a tree without leaves. It never 

 grows to a greater height than 

 twelve inches, and is seldom an 

 inch thick. The direction of its 

 branches extends always forwards 

 from the spot to which the root is 

 attached ; therefore when it grows 

 on the top of a cavern they spread 

 downwards ; if from a horizontal 

 surface upwards : most commonly 

 however the branches extend down- 

 wards, which enables the nets to 

 inclose it with greater facility when 

 detached by the stone. 



It has been constantly remarked, 

 that the broken branches of coral 

 attach themselves to some hard 

 substances where they continue 

 their growth. ]t is verj' common 

 to find many branches of coral, 

 when taken out of the sea, per- 

 forated in several parts. There 

 can be no doubt, that this is the 

 work of the lithophagi ; worms 

 which attack even the hardest 

 substances, for it is well known 

 that they pierce and destroy the 

 hardest carbonate of lime. The 

 eoral (isis nobilis Linnsei) which is 



most eagerly sought after, is o fa 

 fine red colour. Artists and ladies 

 give it the preference. It improves 

 the charms of a beautiful face. 

 Natu ral ists describe al 1 the varieties ; 

 two original colours in coral may 

 be established, white and red, as 

 the two extremes, the gradations 

 of shade from the one to the other 

 producing infinite varieties, among 

 which five principal may be dis- 

 tinguished. 



1st. The deep red coral resem- 

 bling in colour minium. This is 

 considered as the most perfect sort ; 

 in fact, it is the largest and most 

 dense, and receives the highest 

 polish. It is commonly called the 

 male coral. 



2d. Red coral. This is more or 

 less clear, but always less brilliant 

 than the first variety. 



3H. Flesh coloured coral. The 

 ancients call it light red. 



4th. Dull white coral ; by some 

 it is called fawn coloured, from its 

 resemblance to the colour of the 

 fawn. 



5th. Clear white coral. All 

 these varieties are found in the 

 seas round the island, sometimes 

 on the same spot. The first and 

 second are not so abundant or 

 common as the others. 



The extremities of coral, when 

 extracted from the sea, are swelled 

 and rounded, resembling juniper 

 berries. Probably these were thie 

 berries remarked by Pliny, which 

 he considered sis the fruit of the 

 coral ; although in his work he 

 asserts tiiat they are white and 

 soft under water, and become hard 

 and red out of it. 1 am inclined 

 to believe, either, that he wrote 

 from the report of others, or that 

 he has mistaken for them the re<i 

 globules formed by the artist. 



These 



