Mr C. Collier o?i iJie Sea-Slug of' India. 51 



lias also, within these last few years, been discovered abund- 

 antly on the coasts of Ceylon and the Isle of France, and is no 

 doubt general throughout those seas. It has, as we are in- 

 formed, already been sent from thence to China, where it finds 

 a ready market ; although, from its being unskilfully prepared, 

 it is classed with the lowest qualities of the Archipelago. When 

 the Chinese can be employed in fishing and preparing it, there 

 is little doubt that it will I'orm an important article in the com- 

 merce of those countries with China, as it can be got in any 

 quantities. Judging from the extent and population of China, 

 and their taste for such articles, where, along with the birds' 

 nests (a peculiar product of the Archipelago), it forms as indis- 

 jiensable an article of luxury as the tea of China does to this coun- 

 try, especially among the higher orders, it will not be an easy 

 matter to glut the market with it. 



Being found principally on coral I'ecfs, and never on flat mud- 

 <ly shores, the most considerable fisheries are consequently to the 

 eastward from Celebes to New Guinea and Australasia, where 

 the form of the land is the most favourable. The animal is 

 caught on ledges of coral vock, usually at the depth of from 

 three to five fathoms. The larger kinds, wlien in shallow water, 

 are occasionally speared, but the most common mode of takino- 

 them is by diving for them in the manner practised for pearl 

 oysters, and taking them up with the hands. Th^ most produc- 

 tive are che fisheries among the Aroe Islands, and those in the 

 Gulf of Carpentaria, and generally on all the north-west coast of 

 New Holland. Upwards of forty vessels, of from twenty to fifty 

 tons, leave Macassar annually for the coast of New Holland, 

 besides others that go elsewhere in the same trade. A vessel of 

 twenty tons, manned by twenty-five hands, is considered to be 

 successful, if she have obtained seven thousand pounds weight of 

 Tripang. It is, says Crawford, the capital of the Chinese resi- 

 dent merchants which sets these adventures on foot, as they ad- 

 vance to the undertakers from two to four hundred Spanish 

 dollars, according to the extent of their equipment, securing to 

 themselves the refusal of the cargo. 



The holothuriae, as already mentioned, vary in size, but their 

 •quality or viihie in the market does not depend on .size, hut up- 

 .3 D 2 



