274 THE COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS OF THE FISHERIES 



have a horny hardness. It is rasped upon rice to render it 

 savoury. 



The Terussan, a large fish like a salmon in shape, and of a reddish 

 colour, caught off Sumatra, is delicious eating. The air-bladder, called 

 by the natives lupa lupa, is a great article of trade, and sells for 30 dols. 

 per picul at Penang. It is dried in the sun, and the Chinese make great 

 use of it. 



The Malays strike the porpoise or loma, and the paree, ray or skate, 

 ■with an iron harpoon, to which a long coil of rope is attached. The 

 porpoise is chased during the day, but the skate is harpooned at night, 

 being attracted to the boats by the light of torches. The skate some- 

 times attains to the size of six feet in diameter ; those of three or four 

 feet in diameter are common. As they come close up to the surface, 

 they are easily struck. When the barb has been driven into the fish, 

 and the shaft has separated from it, the skate dives with considerable 

 velocity ; and if large, it may be secured after about an hour's labour. 



Dried fish of three kinds, under the native names of Plaheng, Pla- 

 salit, and Platu (some of them are flounders) to the extent of 79,000 

 piculs of 1331b., and dried shrimps to the extent of 1,000 piculs are 

 annually exported from Siam to the Eastern ports. There is an exten- 

 sive trade carried on in China, and the other Eastern nations in 

 Crustacea aud molluscs. Dried shrimps and prawns form a large article 

 of commerce. All sorts of oysters, mussels, and other shell-fish, of 

 which there is a great plenty and surprising variety in the Japanese 

 and other seas, are eaten, none excepted — raw, pickled, salted, boiled, 

 or fried. The ear-shell (Haliotis), called Awabi, is sought for generally 

 for the fish. The flesh is cut into slices or strings, wdiich are extended 

 on a board and dried. As this shell-fish was the common food of their 

 necessitous ancestors, when the Japanese entertain company at dinner, 

 they always provide a dish of it. Koempfer states that it has hence 

 become a custom among all classes, when they forward one another pre- 

 sents of any kind, to send along with it a string or piece of this dried 

 flesh, as a good omen, and as a reminder of the indigency of their fore- 

 fathers. Several species of cuttle fish dried, dried oysters, mussels, 

 cockles, and clams, and the dried ink fish (called Zekat), are largely ex- 

 ported from Japan for Chinese consumption. 



Koempfer, in his " Account of Japan," thus speaks of the latter : 



" Ika is a common sea-qualm. Both the Chinese and Japanese 

 esteem it as a scarce and delicate bit. Fish are easier caught with the 

 flesh of this qualm than with any other bait. Jako, or sepia, is another 

 sea-qualm, with long tails or feet, at the end whereof are, as it were, 

 small hooks, wherewith the creature fastens itself to the rocks, or the 

 bottom of the sea ; it is a common soccano, or side dish, and eaten either 

 fresh, boiled, or pickled. There are two sorts of kurrage, which is also 

 of the sea-qualm land. One is called ruidsukurage — that is, the white 

 qualm. This is common in all seas, whitish, transparent, watery, and 



