THE TORTOISESHELL OF COMMERCE. 



379 



comes to us from more countries than any similar material. We receive it 

 from the East Indies, China, West Indies, South America, Africa, and Aus- 

 tralia. This is without reference to the small, well-known land and river 

 tortoises, or the edible turtle ; the shell of the latter being of trifling, of the 

 former of no value, in manufactures. 



The plates of the carapace of the loggerhead turtle (C. caouana) are 

 fifteen in number, and of a dark chesnut brown. The scales of this 

 turtle are very thin, and, besides, are neither clear nor beautifully 

 coloured. It appears exceedingly plentiful, and has very little value 

 (being worth at present about 3d. per pound), as there is scarcely any 

 known use for it. 



The Indian islands furnish the largest supply of tortoiseshell for the 

 European and Chinese markets, the chief emporia being Singapore, 

 Manilla, and Batavia, from which are exported yearly about 26,000 lb. : 

 one-half of this quantity is from Singapore. 



The Chinese have, no doubt, some markets for obtaining tortoiseshell 

 not yet known to us, as the tortoiseshell we receive thence differs in quality 

 from that we receive from the East Indies (Malay and Philippine Islands) ; 

 at the same time they compete with us for the purchase of the sorts we get.. 



From the year 1811 to the year 1830, the aggregate imports of tortoise- 

 shell into the United Kingdom from the East Indies amounted to 98,522, 

 valued at 128,650?. The annual quantity imported ranged from 10,000 lb. 

 in some years to 1,100 lb. in others. 



Sources of Supply and Prices of Tortoiseshell imported into the United 



Kingdom in 1859. 





Quantity. 



Average Price. 



Total Value. 





lb. 



s. d. 



£ 



Holland - 



2,643 



14 1 



1,861 



Egypt _■■--■--*- 



6,265 



14 6 



4,560 



Philippine Islands 



2,233 



18 8 



2,088 



United States 



819 



15 



613 



Central America - 



913 



15 



684 



New Granada 



8,466 



15 



6,349 



British East Indies 



14,053 



13 5 



9,433 



Australia - 



5,812 



16 1 



4,670 



British W. I. Islands - 



4,888 



14 10 



3,637 



British Honduras 



823 



15 4 



637 



Other parts 



1,398 



15 



1,047 





48,313 





25,579 







Tortoiseshell should be chosen in large thick plates ; free from cracks, 

 carbuncles, or barnacles ; clear, transparent, and variegated. The crooked, 

 broken, and small plates should be rejected. 



The principal consumption is in the manufacture of combs (ladies' back 

 and side, dressing and pocket combs) ; the minor vises — for optical purposes, 

 more particularly for hand-spectacles, eye-glasses, and frames for micro- 



