1 20 The Commercial Products of the Sea. 



American fisheries. The common Loligo is the favourite 

 food of the cod, and is therefore itself fished for bait. 

 One-half of all the cod taken on the banks of New- 

 foundland are said to be caught by it. When the vast 

 shoals of this mollusc approach the coast, hundreds of 

 vessels are ready to capture them, forming an extensive 

 cuttle-fishery, engaging 500 sail of French, English, and 

 American ships. During violent gales of wind, hundreds 

 of tons of them are often thrown up together in beds on 

 the flat beaches, the decay of which spreads an intolerable 

 effluvium around. They must themselves be consumed in 

 enormous numbers, for it has been estimated that a single 

 squid will lay in one season 40,000 eggs. 



The cuttle-fish are frequently left stranded on the 

 beaches, and are also caught by fishermen, who obtain two 

 valuable products from them the so-called calcareous 

 bone (which is much used by chemists, when pulverized and 

 tinted, and sold as coral tooth-powder), and the ink-bag, 

 which forms the sepia colour of artists. On the coasts of 

 Brittany and La Vendee, the flesh of this polypus is eaten 

 and appreciated, but on many other coasts it is disdained. 

 Much depends, however, on its culinary preparation, which 

 is somewhat difficult. 



Dried cuttle-fish form a large article of export from 

 Japan to China. They are called sitsume, and are brought 

 chiefly from Esasi, Matsmai, and the west coast of Yesso, 

 Fugaro, and Yetzidzen, generally during February and 

 October, and the prices paid vary from 14 to i6J dollars. 

 Small quantities brought to Hakodate from Sado Island, 

 situated near the west coast of Niphon, are said to be of 

 very good quality. 



To show the extent of the Chinese trade, it may be 

 stated that in the quarter ending June, 1872, the imports 

 into three of the Chinese ports were as follows : 



