OSTRE AD.E . OYSTER. 147 



have already mentioned that artificial oyster cultivation 

 is carried on in China, and has been for many genera- 

 tions. The principal oyster-beds are situated near the 

 mainland, opposite the north and east of Namoa Island. 

 Pieces of rock or stones are laid out on the beds, old 

 oysters are placed on them, and here the spat is 

 deposited. After three years, the oysters are brought 

 to market. As regards quality, they are inferior to 

 those of Amoy and Foochow, which are exported on a 

 large scale to the ports along the coasts.* 



M. Dabry de Thersant says that there are some prolific 

 beds in the neighbourhood of Macao, which, after 

 deducting the working expenses, about 600, return 

 an annual profit of more than 2000. A staff of eight 

 men are employed on these beds, at about 1 per 

 month each. Another bed which is leased for an 

 annual sum of 10, for thirty years, returns a profit of 

 from 1100 to 1200 per annum, f 



The best oysters are those collected in January, 

 February, and March. There are several species of 

 oysters in China. The Bamboo Oysters are grown in the 

 following manner. Old oyster-shells of two kinds are 

 selected, thick and thin, each of the thick ones having 

 a hole one and a half inches in diameter bored through 

 the centre of it. Slips of bamboo about two feet in 

 length, one and a half inches wide, and half an inch 

 thick, are pointed and split to about half the distance 

 down, a thin shell is inserted in each split near its 

 bottom end, the two top ends of each split are pressed 

 together and thrust into the perforated shell, which 



* ' China : Imperial Maritime Customs.' Special Catalogue, Inter- 

 national Fisheries Exhibition, London, 1833. 

 f 1 * Jblight ot the Lapwing.' 



L 2 



