114 Commercial Products of the Sea. 



per picul and as low as 245-. during consecutive months. It 

 is shipped to Sydney, and thence to China. 



The exports were in — 



Piculs. Value. 



1865 ... ... 500 ... ... £\200 



1866 ... ... 300 ... ... 600 



1867 ... ... 880 ... . 1600 



From Tahiti there were shipped, in 1874, 5346 lbs., 

 valued at ;^58. 



The following are some of the names, classifications, 

 and prices given to specimens shown in the British 

 Museum, London, but the prices are old quotations : — 





Per picul. 



Peach blossom, or spiny ... 



... $30 



Middle clear bald 



20 



Great black 



... 40 



Black... 



... 30 



Largest bald Mashik, from Macassar 





Great white stone 



... 15 



Great clear bald, Leucoma 



... 40 



Great black stone, Macassar ... ' 



... 60 



Middle bald, from Leucoma, small 



10 



Small bald very small 



7 



Square spiny, Macassar ... 



10 



Largest rock, Leucoma . . , 



... 30 



Trepang is very abundant around Tahiti, Moua, and the 

 Windward Islands. The ordinary price at Tahiti is about 

 £aP per ton. A single house sometimes ships 1 50 tons to 

 California, to be thence sent on to China. The imports of 

 beche-de-mer into China in foreign vessels were stated to 

 be as follows : — 



Piculs of 1 33 J lbs. 

 1868 ... ... ... ... 18,407^ 



1869 15,579 



1870 ... • 15,447 



1871 11,338 



1872 17,953 



Taking one year, 1871, we find the following imports of 



