BRITISH TRADE PROSPECTS 
ment of the trade is beset with difficulties which can 
only be surmounted by one who is thoroughly familiar 
with the country and the conditions. 
A rich source of income, still only little worked, 
is the trade in béche-de-mer, the sea-slug, which is an 
indispensable article of seasoning in every Chinese 
kitchen. This commands £70 a ton in the China 
market, and the variety known as the “black fish” 
fetches as much as £100 a ton. It is used for 
thickening gravies and soups. These molluscs are 
about 9 inches long and 3 inches thick, and are to 
be found adhering to the corals. The Papuans dive 
for them, and when they have secured them they are 
split open, dried in the sun, and packed in boxes. 
This trade could be made very profitable to any 
capable operator who cared to embark a moderate 
capital in its development. Divers can be had for 
a little tobacco or a few shells, a knife or an axe, 
but the chief expense is the preparation and pre- 
servation for the market. As a matter of fact, an 
enterprising Brisbane firm has lately introduced the 
tinning system for this mollusc, but the China market 
is supplied with the dried commodity untinned. 
There is also much to be done in copra and in 
cocoa-nut products generally. Large cocoa-nut planta- 
tions pay well, as every part of the tree can be 
utilised, and there is no doubt that a great deal of 
business can be done with Java, which at present 
cannot produce enough cocoa-nut fibre for its mat 
industry, and actually brings consignments all the 
way from Ceylon. The copra is in great demand 
amongst soap-makers, and one large firm has pros- 
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