Coral and the Coral Fisheries, 



459 



del Greco, 24 ; Leghorn, 1 5 ; Genoa, 20. Later statistics 

 make the boats engaged in the fishery from Torre del 

 Greco 329, and the workshops there, 40. The workmen 

 employed were about 6000, who gained i^200,ooo, or an 

 average of a little more than 35 francs annually. 



There were 239 boats engaged in the fishery on the 

 Alghero banks, Italy, in 1873, and 159 in 1874. The 

 coral obtained was as follows : — 





Red coral. 



White coral. 



Total. 



Value. 





Kilogrammes. 



Kilogrammes. 



Kilogrammes. 





1873 



25,384 



9536 



34,920 



1 60, 080 



1874 



12,260 



6758 



20,018 



93,960 



The coral fishery of Cagliari gave employment in 1875 

 to 180 boats, and the produce was below 1,000,000 francs, 

 against 2,350,000 francs obtained in 1874. 



The manufactured articles sell, of course, at much higher 

 prices than when in the rough state, so that coral is by 

 no means an inconsiderable source of emolument to the 

 Italians. 



Great quantities, when manufactured, are exported to 

 India, and in Leghorn and Genoa several establishments 

 work exclusively for that distant market, where blood-red 

 coral, the colour of which harmonizes with the dark com- 

 plexions of the native ladies, is particularly in demand. 

 Coral beads of a large size are in high estimation through- 

 out Hindostan, and are usually sold for their weight in 

 silver. Manufactured coral to the value of 208,000 was 

 sent from Brindisi to Egypt in 1873. 



The following return furnishes the official quantity and 

 value of the imports of coral and coral articles into the 



