PEARL FISHING AND ' BEACHCOMBERS: 263 



' A Scotchman,' was the reply. 



' Well, then,' replied the Yankee, ' I guess I pity you more 

 than a little. I cannot take you away, but here's a sheath- 

 knife and a plug of James River cavendish, of which I make 

 you a present ; had you been an American, I would have had 

 you tied up to the gangway and have given you a dozen with 

 the cat-o'-nine-tails.' 



The Scot did not understand what he could have been 

 guilty of to deserve this punishment, and asked the American 

 to explain. 



'Because,' retorted the commander, 'had you been a citizen 

 of the United States I should have counted you a disgrace to 

 humanity for letting yourself run wild among a lot of scalping 

 savages ; but seeing you are a Britisher, and there is not room 

 enough for you all in your over-crowded country, I pity you 

 from the bottom of my soul I dew.' 



There are extraordinary industries as well as extraordinary 

 men in Coral Lands. A chapter is certainly due to beche-de- 

 mer. 



CHAPTER XXX. 



WHAT BECHE-DE-MER IS, HOW IT IS CAUGHT, AND WHAT 

 IS DONE WITH IT. 



ALL the lagoon islands of the Coral Seas are famous for the 

 production of Mche-de-mer, a kind of sea-snail, which is one of 

 the most important articles of commerce obtained in the 

 Pacific. 



Beche-de-mer, called by the Chinese Tripang, by the Polyne- 

 sians in the South Sea Bodi, and in the Caroline Group Menika, 

 is that species of mollusc classed as the Holothurides. It has 



