354 THE OCEAN. 
. 
which floats on the Indian waters, a species of 
Gelidium, which can be reduced, by boiling or soak- 
ing in water, almost entirely into a clear jelly. It 
is probable, however, that the substance undergoes 
some preparation in the stomach of the bird before. 
it is applied, or else that the filaments are cemented 
by a glutinous saliva. 
No inconsiderable part of the cargoes of the 
return junks is made up of a sea-weed called agar- 
agar, collected upon the coasts of Malacca. Boats 
go out to procure it from the reefs on which it 
grows, when it is well washed in the rivers, dried, 
and packed in baskets. It grows in small bunches, 
with long and narrow fronds resembling shreds, of 
a light-yellow hue. The finest portions are used 
in China to make a clear, tasteless jelly; while the 
coarser parts are boiled down into a strong and sub- 
stantial glue, used in the manufacture of furniture 
and lacquered ware. A size is also produced from 
it, for stiffening paper and silk. In Canton, this 
substance produces from twenty to thirty-five shil- 
lings per hundredweight. It is, however, light in 
proportion to its bulk. It is probable that this is 
the species described by botanists by the name of 
Gracillaria tenax, of which 27,000 pounds are said 
to be annually imported into China, and of which 
windows are made. 
Another important article of traffic with the Chi- 
nese, is the animal called by them ¢repang, the béche 
de mer (Holuthuria). There are several species of 
these animals, which are curious creatures. Gene- 
rally, they have some resemblance in form to a 
