i68 CONFESSIONS OF A BEACHCOMBER 



cut open lengthwise, with a sharp knife, and by a thin 

 skewer of wood its interior surface is exposed. Placed on 

 wire-netting trays in series the fish are smoked or desic- 

 cated in a furnace heated, preferably, with black or red 

 mangrove wood, and finally exposed to the sun to eliminate 

 dampness which may have been absorbed on removal from 

 the smoke-house. When the fish leave the smoke-house 

 they have shrunk to small dimensions, and resemble pieces 

 of smoked buffalo hide, more or less curled and crumpled. 

 In this condition they are sent away to China and elsewhere 

 to be used in soup. Australian gourmands are beginning 

 to appreciate this delicacy, which is said to be marvellously 

 strengthening, though without elaborate cooking it is 

 almost tasteless, and therefore unlike dugong soup, which 

 surpasses turtle in flavour and delicacy, and would fatten 

 up a skeleton. B^che-de-mer is merely a substantial founda- 

 tion or stock for a more or less artistic culinary effort. 



B^che-de-mer realises as much as £i6o per ton. In 

 former days " red prickly fish," was the most highly-prized on 

 the Chinese markets, but several years ago a fisherman in the 

 neighbourhood of Cooktown used a copper boiler. Several 

 Chinese epicures died after partaking of soup made from a 

 particular parcel, and " red prickly," was forthwith credited 

 with poisonous qualities. The consignment was traced to its 

 origin, and popular opinion at the time was thatthe boiler had, 

 unknown to the proprietor of the station, induced verdigris. 

 Investigation, however, gave ground for the belief that the fish 

 in the boiling exuded juices of such corrosive qualities that 

 the copper was chemically acted upon. B^che-de-mer, is 

 now invariably cooked in iron vessels, the bottom half of a 

 malt tank being a common boiler, and the " red prickly," after 

 being absolutely worthless for many years — so quaint are 

 Oriental prejudices — is now regaining favour in that market. 



B^che-de-mer, though called fish by tradesmen, neither 

 swims nor floats ; neither does it crawl, nor wriggle, nor 

 hop, skip nor jump. It simply " moves " on the ocean 

 floor, when not reposing in apparently absolute and un- 

 conscious idleness like its distant relative, the star-fish. Nor 



