114 The Commercial Products of the Sea. 



per picul and as low as 24?. during consecutive months. It 

 is shipped to Sydney, and thence to China. 

 The exports were in — 



Piculs. Value. 



1865 ... ... 500 ... ... £\2.00 



1866 ... ... 300 ... ... 600 



1867 ... ... 880 ... ... 1600 



From Tahiti there were shipped, in 1874, 5346 lbs., 

 valued at £^%. 



The following are some of the names, classifications, 

 and prices given to specimens shown in the British 

 Museum, London, but the prices are old quotations : — 



Per picul. 



Peach blossom, or spiny... ... ... I30 



Middle clear bald ... ... ... 20 



Great black ... ... ... ... 4° 



Black... ... ... ... ... 30 



Largest bald Mashik, from Macassar 



Great white stone ,, ... ... IS 



Great clear bald, Leucoma ... ... 40 



Great black stone, Macassar ... ... 60 



Middle bald, from Leucoma, small ... 10 



Small bald ,, very small ... 7 



Square spiny. Macassar ... ... ... 10 



Largest rock, Leucoma ... ... ... 30 



Trepang is very abundant around Tahiti, Moua, and the 

 Windward Islands. The ordinary price at Tahiti is about 

 £^0 per ton. A single house sometimes ships 1 50 tons to 

 California, to be thence sent on to China. The imports of 

 b^che-de-mer into China in foreign vessels were stated to 

 be as follows : — 



Piculs of 133} lbs; 

 ... 18,407^ 



1869 

 1870 

 187I 

 1872 



IS. 579 

 IS.447 

 11.338 

 17.953 



Taking one year, 1871, we find the following imports of 



