284 SEALE. 



skin may be smooth, or covered with prickle-like teats arranged in rows 

 or scattered over the body. In color they range from pale flesh-color 

 to black. These animals, when dr}', are hard, sausage-shaped, and appear 

 to be altogether unpalatable and it is not until they have been cleaned, 

 minced, and made into a most delicious soup by the skillful hand of 

 the Chinese cook that the real value of this product of the sea is 

 understood. Beche de mer- live among the white sand and coral in the 

 sea-gardens and feed upon small sea-animals and sea-vegetation, so there 

 is no reason why they should not rank as a delicious food product and 

 come into general use among Europeans and Americans. I can, from 

 experience, heartily recommend a trial of trepang soup ^ to those who 

 delight in a dish free from the contaminations of the land, with a delicate 

 aroma of the deep sea about it. 



VAKIETIES OF PHELIPPEfE TBEPANG. 



In Manila all the large dealers in trepang are Chinese. They recognize 

 five different varieties, as follows : 



No. 1.^ — Oe (Plate I, fig. 1). A large, uniformly black, perfectly 

 smooth variety (H. atra Jaeger). This species, when dry, is from 430 to 

 200 millimeters in length and 40 to 60 millimeters in diameter. This is 

 regarded as the most desirable species found in the Islands and sells for 

 the highest price, being valued at 65 to 98 centavos per kilogram whole- 

 sale, according to the size of the animal, and care in curing. I wUl 

 call it the great smooth black trepang. 



No. 2. — Gan Sim (Plate I, fig. 3), is a large brownish trepang, with 

 two rows of teats on each side. The animal, when dry, is of a rather 

 fiat, oval shape, about 130 millimeters in length and 60 millimeters in 

 width. Its back is but slightly roughened. This species is regarded as 

 being next to the best variety, sells for 40 to 80 centavos per kilogram, 

 and is in fair demand. We will call it the great oval brown trepang. 



No. S. — Bark Sim (Plate I, fig. 3) is the third grade of trepang and 

 to this belongs the great mass of trepang shipped from the Islands. It 

 includes a large variety of forms ranging in price from 35 to 70 centavos 



' To make trepang soup. — Clean and wash out the trepang in cold water, slice 

 and put them in a chopping bowl and mince iine, soak in cold water five hours, 

 then boil for one hour, add salt and pepper and a quantity of beef or chicken 

 stock and bring to a boil. Serve hot. [Sing Fat.] 



' I have been unable to find anyone in the Philippines who recognized or could 

 give me any information regarding the names given to the Philippine trepang by 

 Simmonds in his Commercial. Products of the Sea, although I have repeatedly 

 asked dealers and fishermen both in Jolo and Manila. It is possible that Ms 

 so-called "bankolungen" is the gan sim, his "munang" the oe, his "telepan" the 

 moi whar che, his "sapatos grande" the smooth white ringed bark sim, his 

 "sapatos china" is perhaps the great convoluted bark sim, and his "lowalowan" 

 is possibly the bark sim, called the small black wrinked trepang in the present 

 paper. 



