23^ Ohfervatlons refpeBing Ovjlers, 



The Mediterranean fea, in general, has more fhell-fifh than 

 the ocean any where contains in the fame Ipace ; but no part 

 of it is more abundant in this refpeft than the Golfo Tara?i- 

 iino, the harbour of the city, and the Plcciol Mare, Fifliing 

 is the principal or only occupation of the inhabitants, who 

 chiefly live by it : on this account the greateft care is taken 

 to preferve and increafe the oyfter-beds. At prefent there 

 are feven, which belong partly to the king, partly to the 

 clergy, and partly to private perfons. They arc all let on 

 Icafe. Thofe who pay to the proprietors 30 carlini may fifh 

 for oyfters till St. Andrew's day. It is afferted that they bring 

 in yearly 21,348 ducats, and that the duty on all the oyfters 

 and fliell-fifli which are fent from the city amounts to 5615. 

 If we add to this what is gained by the preparation of byffus 

 (laua phma^') we may eftimate, according to the aifcrtion of 

 the archbifhop Jofeph Capece-Latro f, the whole annual re- 

 turn at 100,000 ducats. Great care is here taken that the 

 oyfters may not be difturbed during the time they are fpawn- 

 ing, and that all the young ones be thrown back again into 

 the fea. It is generally beheved here that all lliell-fifb are 

 fatteft and fulleft at the time of the full moon. 



The oyfters of the Mare Piccolo are at prefent to the rich 

 Italians what thofe of the Lucrine lake were to the ancients J. 

 This lake extended in Campania from Baias to the lake Aver- 

 nus, and was feparatcd from the fea only by a mole ; but, 



* A kind of filky thrends, about five or fix inches in Imigth, which 

 fome kinds of flieli-fifh {myiili'j pinna') throw out, and with which they 

 attach themfelves to the rocks and other folid bodies. When thefe threads 

 are burnt, they emit, as filk does, a fmeli Hke that of urine. The pinna 

 muriua ihrowi ovt a i};/fus, which is fit for being manufaftured, and is 

 valued more than wool. At Naples, Meifina, Palermo, and Corhca, 

 ftockings, gloves, &:c. are made of this fubftance. They are exceedingly 

 •aarm, and are conndered as prefervatives againft the gout. Edit. 



■f Mi:moria fii i t/Jlacei di T'aranto, without date or place : the author's 

 name is found only at ttie end of the preface. See alio Von Salis Rtiftn 

 *« vi-)fcbieJetie provinxcn dcs Konigreichs Ncapel, in the appendix to the 

 firft volume. 



+ The oyders of Tarentum alfo were much eilecmed by the ancients. 

 Aulus Gellius, Lib. VII. cap. 16, or rather Varro, reckons the qflrea Ta- 

 rentinu among the greateft delicacies. 



though 



