CHAPTER IX. 



THE TREPANG FISHERY. 



Trepang or biche-de-mer fishery in the Pacific and Eastern Seas— Numerous 

 varieties of Holothuria — Mode of preparing for market — Process of dry- 

 ing — Statistics of exports from the Fiji Islands and Tahiti — Large imports 

 into China. 



An important fishery for a food product, although one 

 scarcely known at all in Europe, is the trepang fishery of 

 the Pacific and Eastern Seas. 



The trepang, or beche-de-mer as it is sometimes called, 

 is a most unsightly looking substance, a kind of sea-slug, 

 belonging to the genus Holothuria. There are many 

 varieties. The ordinary kind in point of size and appear- 

 ance resembles a prickly cucumber, except that the colour 

 is of a whitish brown ; another is perfectly black. Some- 

 times they are found nearly two feet in length, but they are 

 generally very much smaller, and perhaps about eight 

 inches may be taken as the average size. 



There are 33 different varieties enumerated by the 

 Chinese traders and others skilled in its classification, and 

 it varies in price according to quality from Sj. to ioj. the 

 pound. Fashion and custom have caused each ' variety to 

 have a different market. While the gourmand of the 



