BECHE-DE-MER 



Sea-slugs 



BEADS 



Timber. 



Cigarette-covers. 



D.E.P., 

 1., 426-33. 



Mineral. 



Animal. 



Vegetable. 



Natives and the leaves are relished by buffaloes in N. India. The seeds of 

 B. i ,ii,ia are eaten raw or fried, and the young pods of this species and 

 also of B. vnriegatit are cooked and eaten by some of the hill tribes. The 

 TIMBER of B. /mr/m << is used for agricultural implements, but of the other 

 trees of this genus the wood is mainly useful for burning. The leaves of 

 B. rariegatti and B. racetnonn are made into cigarette-covers (bidis) those 

 of the former are said to be exported to Sind and Persia, while the latter 

 in the Thana district alone bring a revenue of Us. 1,500 a year. Those of 

 B. i ah in are made into cups, platters, etc., and the bark of this climber, as of 

 B. iiinvi-oNtfirJiyft. is used for matchlocks. Finally, the leaves of it. I'Hff.immn 

 are worshipped at the Dasara festival. 



BEADS. These may be referred to three groups : 



(1) Mineral, including glass and stone-beads, alabaster and metal 

 ornaments, etc. 



(2) Animal, including bones, corals, pearls, shells, etc. 



(3) Vegetable, including flowers, fruits, seeds, etc. 



( 1 ) In the MINERAL group there is a large import trade, especially from Italy, 

 in glass beads. The value of the trade in 1902-3 was Us. 16,51,325, representing 

 14,437 cwt. of goods, and in 1906-7, 22,520 cwt. or Rs. 24,02,442 (see Glass, 

 p. 563). A considerable internal trade is also done in the cheaper kind of stones 

 which are collected on the mountains of India and Burma, as also brought 

 across the northern land frontier (see Gem Stones, p. 560). Small beads made 

 of various metals are also common, the more elegant being gold beads mixed 

 with precious stones or coral. 



(2) Personal ornaments derived from the ANIMAL kingdom are chiefly Cowrie 

 and Conch shells (see Shells, p. 989), feathers of birds, skins, furs, horns, bones, the 

 smaller pearls, etc. Such information on these subjects as can be here given will 

 be found under the respective articles, Birds' Skins and Feathers (see under Birds, 

 pp. 138-42; Bones, p. 169; Hides, p. 639; Horns, p. 645; and Pearls, p. 557). 



(3) In the Dictionary (i., 430-3) will be found a complete enumeration of the 

 various plants of which certain parts are used for beads, rosaries, garlands, etc. 

 In the more important instances the domestic uses will be found under the plant- 

 names in their proper alphabetical positions Adhatoda, JEgle, Coix, etc., .etc. [Of. 

 Vieux, Agri. Ledg., 1906, No. 6.] 



D.E.P., BECHE-DE-MER: Sea-slug; Tripang; Suala, Swalloe, 



vi., pt.' ii., or Swallow, etc., names given to various forms or qualities of the 



493. Edible Holoihurian ; Thurston, Mar. Fa. Rameswaram, Mad. Cent. Mus., 



Sea-slugs. so< ser ? 1887; No> 1; 15j etc> 



Habitat. These edible Sea-slugs are found on the coast of the Mediterranean, 

 the Eastern Archipelago, Australia, Mauritius, Ceylon and Zanzibar, whence they 

 are occasionally brought to Bombay for re-export to China. Several species are 

 found on the shores of the Andaman and Laccadive Islands and on the Burmese 



Supply. coast, particularly that of the Mergui Archipelago, where they are collected from 



the Nicobar Islands, the Maldives, the Gulf of Manar, etc., cured and sent to 

 China via Burma and Madras ports. It is, however, mainly from New Caledonia, 

 Tahiti and the Fiji Islands that China is supplied. 



Preparation. Very little of a satisfactory nature is known regarding the 

 Indian and Burmese species and qualities ; the methods of collection, curing and 

 drying ; system of packing and exporting ; chief towns concerned in the trade ; 

 seasons of collection, prices, etc., of these edible products. In fact very little of a 

 practical nature has been contributed since Capt. Andrew Cheyne wrote his account 

 an abstract of which will be found in the Dictionary. Mr. Thurston tells us that 



Preparation. " The Tripangs are collected by Natives, as they lie on the mud at low water, and 



placed in a cauldron which is heated by a charcoal fire. As the temperature 

 rises in the cauldron, the still living animals commit suicide by ejecting their 

 digestive apparatus, etc., and become reduced to empty membranous sacs, 

 wliich, by loss of water consequent on the temperature to which they are exposed, 

 shrivel up considerably. At the end of twenty minutes or half an hour the 

 boiling process is stopped, arid then the same process is repeated for a similar 



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