462 The Commercial Products of the Sea. 



a favourite adornment for native children, as well as for 

 adults, in certain classes of the population. The demand 

 for coral depends upon the out-turn of the crops of the 

 year. After an abundant harvest rupees will be freely 

 exchanged for a string of corals to be added to those 

 already worn as a necklace, but in a poor year the coral 

 merchant will find his stock almost unsaleable at any price, 

 and his next importations will consequently be on a very 

 reduced scale. 



Coral forms a large item of the Indian exports to 

 Thibet. The preference is for round grains pierced, or oval 

 grains with the ends truncated and pierced through the 

 length. A piece as large as a pea fetches its weight in 

 gold, and the price augments with the size. The darkest 

 colours are the most esteemed. 



In China coral constitutes an important article of trade. 

 Various sorts are imported from Singapore, Sumatra, and 

 the Samar Islands. Red coral is termed shan-hu, the 

 white variety shi/i-hwa, but the black is more esteemed 

 than any other colour. This is wrought into official 

 buttons and beads, the inferior kinds being made into ear 

 and finger rings. It is powdered and used there in medi- 

 cine and in ophthalmia. Various madrepores and polypes 

 have also a medicinal reputation in China. 



A bank of coral of great richness is stated to have been 

 discovered on the coasts of Japan. The coral collected is 

 said to possess this peculiarity, that it is white in the centre 

 and at all the lateral points, which are numerous on the 

 branches. It is not, however, likely to prove useful for work- 

 ing up, as it appears to scale or break off. But a small 

 quantity has yet been brought up. The principal fishery was 

 to commence shortly, when more information will be 

 obtained, but it does not appear likely to compete with 

 the coral fished from the coasts of Italy and Sicily. 



