456 The Commercial Products of the Sea. 



the sale of coral gives employment to a good deal of 

 capital. 



A year or two ago a new coral reef was discovered on 

 the coast of Palmi in Calabria, and the local sailors fished 

 up a large quantity of rose-coloured coral of good quality, 

 and many pieces of considerable size were obtained. The 

 reputation of the bank soon drew the attention of the bold 

 fishers of Torre del Greco, and three boats were forthwith 

 equipped and sent there, and did well. 



Imitations of coral have been tried, but with not very 

 great success. A few years ago coraline, a tolerably cheap 

 substitute, was very common for beads, bracelets, etc., and 

 might be seen in the galleries of the Palais Royal, Paris, 

 and other shops where cheap jewellery is sold. Although it 

 imitated tolerably well the rose-pink coral, yet the artificial 

 beads were too regular, smooth, and uniform to pass 

 muster among those who had any knowledge of the true 

 marine product, and it is scarcely seen now. Even the 

 natives of the East, who are thought to be shrewd and well- 

 informed on all matters of gems and jewellery, may occa- 

 sionally be imposed upon. Strings of large coral beads 

 of uniform size, 100 on a string, are in great demand for 

 chaplets in parts of Asia, and a visit was once paid to the 

 shop of Messrs. Phillips by a number of distinguished 

 foreigners, who admired the beauty and proportions of the 

 chaplets submitted to them, but expressed unbounded 

 astonishment at the price asked. Not long after their de- 

 parture they came back, expressing great indignation at 

 the imposition attempted to be practised on them, declaring 

 that they had purchased a similar article for one-tenth or 

 one-twelfth the price asked, and they exposed numerous 

 strings of coraline. They were asked to put the two 

 articles to the test with a knife, and the true coral was, of 



