Official papers on Isinglass. 453 



to prosecute an enquiry, which may tend to develope the 

 particular details, so desirable on a subject of so much 

 importance. 



I have endeavoured to collect specimens of all the fish 

 possessing the sound of any available size, but as yet, have 

 only been able to procure four, which have a number attach- 

 ed to their mouths, corresponding with that opposite their 

 names. It was my intention to send them all whole, but 

 No. 3, Nat-Jca-dan (the spirit's wife) had so different an 

 appearance to the others, that I suspected the party wished 

 merely to dispose of the fish without knowing whether it 

 possessed the sound ; I was thus induced to open it, and to 

 my surprise found its sound to be extraordinarily large for 

 the size of the fish. I have cleaned it, and after soaking it 

 in alum water a day, have dried it, as r much as the limited 

 time for the departure of the Ganges would permit. I forward 

 it, together with a specimen of the large sound procured 

 from the Ka-ku-yan, (Polys, ploteus) ; the latter, owing to its 

 being cured during the monsoon, has a discolored part, which 

 may be prejudicial to its quality. The specimens are packed 

 in arrack, but should this be objectionable, I shall feel 

 obliged for information as to the best method of packing any 

 future specimens I may forward.* On inspecting the sound 

 of the fish No. 3, I was struck with the circumstance of 

 its not possessing the long stringy fibre, which I presume is 

 essential to its being converted into the Isinglass of com- 

 merce, and on removing the outer skin, a very slight pres- 

 sure separated a part of the sound which came away, of the 

 consistency of a thick curd, without any appearance of fibre 

 or stringy particles in it ; the steeping in the alum solution 

 has somewhat remedied this, and given the sound a stronger 

 feel, with a horizontal fibrous appearance ; however should 



* The best way of preserving large fish is to preserve the skins 

 merely with the head and fins attached. In this way they become 

 perfectly dry and hard, the skin assuming of itself the natural form of 

 the fish, and when varnished looks quite fresh. 



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