452 The Commercial Prodiicts of the Sea. 



The coral is gathered together ; the branches of precious 

 zoophyte are cleansed and divested of the shells and other 

 parasitic products which accompany them ; finally, the 

 produce is carried to and sold in the ports of Messina, 

 Naples, Genoa, and Leghorn, where the workers in jewellery 

 purchase them. 



The boats employed are of two classes. One kind, by 

 far the most numerous, is composed of vessels of from 

 II to i6 tons burden, with crews of 12 to 14 men. They 

 are all fitted out at Torre del Greco, under the Italian flag, 

 and fish during the months of February and March. The 

 second class includes craft of from three to six tons burden, 

 under the French flag, although they are almost entirely 

 manned by Italian seamen. Their crews consist of five or 

 six men, and they continue at sea most part of the year. 

 The boats fish on the coasts of Africa and Sardinia, at a 

 distance of 15 to 30 miles from shore, only returning to 

 port in case of urgent necessity. They work night and 

 day without intermission ; half of the crew relieve the other 

 half every six hours. The larger class of vessels is fast 

 superseding the small, and it is calculated that there are 

 now about 200 of the larger vessels employed, with 2400 

 men. The seamen receive from £20 to ^"24 each per 

 annum, and the masters about twice that amount. The 

 entire value and equipage of a large boat, including drag- 

 nets, stores, and six months' wages, may be estimated at 

 about ;^550. Such a boat may probably collect from 650 

 to 850 lbs. of coral in the season. 



Hitherto the fishery has been conducted on the old 

 primitive method of the drag-net or rough dredge, formed 

 of a cross of wood with a quantity of hemp attached, to 

 tear up the coral. One would have supposed, with the 

 enhanced value which coral now commands, some efl"orts 



