CORAL 609 



neighbouring Algerian coast, where the industry is promoted in every possible way by the 

 Prench Government. Other places in the same neighbourhood where abundance of coral is 

 to be found are Vieille-Calle or Bastion de France, a fort erected in former times for the 

 protection of coral-fishers ; Cape Rosa, a little to the west of La Calle ; further to the 

 west the Gulf of Bona, on which Bona itself stands ; then Calle-Traversa and other places ; 

 and still further in the same direction Cap de Garde and Cap de Fer, which constitute as 

 far as is known at present the western boundary of the coral-producing stretch of these 

 seas. Towards the cast we have the coast of Biserta ; the neighbourhood a little to the 

 south of Cape Bon, near Kelibia ; and further to the south Mansuria (Sidi Mansur), which 

 lies to the north of Sfax, opposite the Kerkenna Islands in the Gulf of Cabes. The coral 

 found on the African coast is distinguishable from that found at other localities, and 

 specially from Sicilian coral, by certain peculiarities of form. The main stem of the stock is 

 almost perfectly straight, rising up like a column, and bearing upon its sides perfectly straight 

 branches, some pieces being like a hand with outstretched fingers. Pieces of coral of this 

 form are much sought after as they can be worked with very little wasteof material. 



A large amount of coral has been obtained in recent years from the coasts of Sicily. 

 Also fi'om the neighbourhood of the small islands Linosa and Pantellaria south of Sicily, 

 and from the sea between Malta ajid Cape Passaro, the southernmost point of Sicily. The 

 most important localities for coral lie, however, near Sciacca, a little to the west of Girgenti, 

 where coral-fishing has been carried on since the iniddle of the 'seventies ; on the west coast 

 near Trapani ; and in the vicinity of the neighbouring .Egadean Islands. Near Sciacca 

 there are three banks of different sizes, and at an average depth of about 200 metres 

 (148-221 metres), which arc remarkable in that all the coral-stocks are dead, and the 

 skeleton in many cases has turned black. The process is of course progressive, and since 

 the tliscovery of the banks in 1875 a gradual increase in the proportion of black and red 

 coral has been observed, the deterioration being noticeable as early as the beginning of the 

 'eighties. Moreover, the old stocks not being replaced by young ones, the bank is quickly 

 becoming exhausted. It is the presence of a thick layer of mud which has proved fatal to 

 the corals of these banks, for the organism never thrives unless living in clear, still water. 

 This covering of mud may be traced to the violent submarine volcanic eruptions which took 

 place at intervals during a period of three months in the year 1831 in the sea between 

 Pantellaria and Sciacca. To these eruptions was due the appearance of the small crater- 

 island known as Graham ( = Ferdinandea = Julia Island), now washed away by the sea, and 

 the mud which killed the corals was probably laid down over great stretches of the 

 sea-floor in the form of fine volcanic ash. The coral-stocks of Sciacca are so gnarled and 

 distorted that, from the connnercial point of view, they are of little use, since to work them 

 into any of the objects ordinarily made of coral involves a considerable loss of material. 



There are coral-banks in the neighbourhood of Ustica and the Lipari Islands (Lipari, 

 Vulcano, Stromboli, Basiluzzo, &c.), small islands lying to the north of Sicily. They are 

 moderately productive, but the stormy seas render the work of fishing difficult or impossible. 

 They are less important than the coral-banks in the Straits of Messina, which extend from 

 Cape Faro, the north-east pgint of Sicily, for a distance of six miles, that is to say, to a point 

 three miles beyond Messina and opposite Chiesa della Grotta, while a few corals are found 

 even as far south as San Stefano. 



The opposite Oalabrian coast, especially the neighbourhood of Scilla and Palmi, 

 is famous for the beauty of colour of its corals, which on this account are specially valuable. 

 This coast is productive as far north as Cape Vaticano and Tropea and the Gulf of San 

 Eufemia and in the south in the neighbourhood of Altatiumana, on Cape dell' Armi, and of 



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