190 THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA. 



yards, and is never taken at greater depths than frorc 

 200 to 350 yards. 



The colour of coral is generally a beautiful red, 

 but it is found of every intermediate tint between 

 red and white. That fished on the coasts of France 

 owes its celebrity to the richness of its colours. The 

 different kinds are known to commerce under the 

 various names of " blood coral," first, second, and 

 third, &c., according to the shade. White coral is 

 but little esteemed, if we except that kind known as 

 " cornelian-white." 



The coral fishery is chiefly in the hands of the 

 Maltese, but it is also pursued by the Italians and the 

 French. An idea of the manner in which it is 

 practised on the coasts of Sicily will not be unin- 

 teresting to the reader. The little fleet engaged in 

 the fishery consists of small barks, attended by 

 boats which are manned by three or four men, who 

 take up various positions over the coral bank. The 

 tackle used is a kind of drag with arms, worked by 

 means of a capstan. Each branch or arm of the drag 

 has a kind of netted sack at the end of it, into which 

 the coral falls as it is broken off. Beneath the centre 

 of the cross formed by the arms, a heavy stone is 

 swung; and the whole apparatus is dragged along 

 the rocky bottom by the forward motion of the 

 vessel and the lifting motion of the capstan operated 



