FISHING ESTABLISHMENTS. 89 



valued for its large roe, which, being extracted, is 

 salted and dried, and sent to those parts of the coast 

 which do not possess it. 



The ' blachang ' is a kind offish paste of several quali- 

 ties. That most in esteem is made of a species of very 

 small shrimp, which, in the fine season, is found in 

 enormous numbers on the borders of the sea : it is 

 salted and pounded in a mortar, and being made up 

 into little parcels is sent into the interior, where 

 it is highly esteemed. The inferior kind is made of 

 all kinds of little fish shrimps, &c., in the same way, 

 but does not bear so high a price : they both have an 

 odour which renders them offensive to Europeans. 



Sharks' fins and ' tripang,' or sea slug, are exported 

 by the Bugis boats from the eastern parts of the 

 island ; they are first sent to Singapore, afterwards 

 to China. Tortoise-shell is also found in these seas, 

 but not in such abundance as amongst the islands 

 further to the eastward. The turtle is very common 

 on the small islands off the coast. Its flesh is not 

 eaten by the natives, but its eggs form a considerable 

 article of trade. Shell-fish of several kinds are found 

 upon the coasts, the oysters being of very great abund- 

 ance, and of very fine flavour. The pearl and the 

 mother-of-pearl oyster also abound, and the fishery 

 of the Soolu islands has been long known and highly 

 valued : in proper hands it would be the finest in the 

 world; but pearls are produced in plenty all along 

 the northern coast. The prawns produced by the seas 

 and rivers of this island are of the very finest flavour, 



