Coral and the Coral Fisheries. 447 



500 to 600 lbs. In beads there is the same fluctation in 

 the quantity. Some years from 3000 to 4000 lbs. come in ; 

 of late years there is only an average of 1000 lbs. These 

 figures represent merely the merchant's coral for re-export, 

 and furnish no estimate whatever of the choice coral of 

 fashion, which depends for its value entirely on the gold- 

 smith's and jeweller's art iin arranging and setting, variety, 

 form and style, and represents a value far surpassing all 

 that has been quoted. It comprises articles of beauty 

 and imagination which defy any detailed description, and 

 which even illustration could not do justice to. 



Coral beads were always favourite ornaments in this 

 country. In the inventory of one John Post (who died in 

 1524), "late y«= king's servant," in the churchwarden's 

 accompts of St Mary-at-Hill, London, we find the following 

 items : " \\ oz. of corall, 2s. 6d. ; jewels for her body, a 

 pair of corall bedes, gaudyed with gaudes of silver and 

 gilt, 10 oz. at 3 J. 4d., £1 1 3 J. 4^."— a goodly price in those 

 days. 



Various handsome parures of coral have been shown 

 from time to time at the different International Exhibi- 

 tions. Some very fine specimens of red coral in the 

 natural state were exhibited in the Algerian Court at the 

 London Exhibition in 1862. The Ionian Islands also 

 exhibited some small specimens of coral from Ithaca. 

 From New Caledonia a substance having some resem- 

 blance to coral was also shown under the name of "rose 

 coral." 



A set of pink coral shown at the Dublin Exhibition 

 in 1865, consisting of a tiara, bracelets, solitaires, comb, 

 earrings, brooch, necklace, and pendant, was valued at 

 ;^iocx3, though the value was represented almost alone by 

 the coral. Signor Gismondi, the designer and carver of 



