696 Mr. WiLLOU 
to fay, that it is thought a very flourifhing Seafon, when 
two hundred of thefe Veffels are employed. The Bu- 
nefs of Coral fifhing is both laborious and dangerous, 
it requires great Skill and Dexterity to heave the Crofs, 
and no fmall Labour and Diligence to get it on board 
again, befides the great Rilk they run from Storms, 
Accidents in their Fifhing and Pyrates, all which taken 
together, keep the Coral Fifhers fo poor, that the Com- 
pany never wants Servants. 
As for the Ules of Coral, one may fafely reckon 
three. Firfl, thofe for which it ferves in Phyfick, and 
there want not many Writers who have raifed thefe 
very high, and fu^gefl;ed,that Wonders might be done 
by Tinctures, Elixirs, Magifteries, and other Prepara- 
tions of Coral, which in Procefs of Time, however, 
have been exploded, and are grown altogether out of 
Ufe. But from the Powder and Salt, and fome other 
Medicines more eafily made, and of as great Efficacy as 
the former, fince Coral can only operate as a Sweetner, 
and as an Abforbent, it is ftill a good Thing in this 
Refpeff, and great Quantities of it are continually vend- 
ed. The fecond Ufe it is put to, is for Toys, fuch as 
Necklaces, Bracelets, adorning Rock and Shell-Work, 
and other Purpofes of the like Nature. Laftly, it is ex- 
ported into the moll diflant Parts of the World, where 
it is in very high Efleem, particularly in Ferfia., and 
among the 'Tartars. But the bell Market in the World 
(if it could be got thither) is Japan j where it is 
efleemed beyond all precious Stones whatever. Emeralds, 
Rubies and Diamonds themfelves not excepted ; and 
this for the bell Reafon in the World, becaufe all thefe 
Jewels they have, but Coral they have not. The Coral 
that is commonly brought to Market is either red or 
white, the former is employed in Toys, and the latter 
fold to the Apothecaries j but befides thefe, there are 
fome Pieces of a flefli Colour, and fome Green, but this 
comes from Americii. When it is wrought into Beads 
and Necklaces, it fells in the Levant for about five 
Shillings an Ounce, fometimes for more. It has been 
already obferv’d, that large Pieces of Coral are a very 
great Rarity, and this the famous Mr. Lemery., and fome 
other learned Perfons afcribe to the Nature of the 
Plant, but without any kind of Reafon, except this 
may pafs for one, that Coral is of a very flow Growth, 
and that mufi: be allowed to be the true Reafon. For 
Coral requiring many Years to reach a large Size, and 
the Coral Fifhers purluing their Trade conftantly every 
Seafon, it mull necefiarily follow, that fcarce any large 
Coral can be obtained, becaufe they never fuffer it to 
grow. Befides this, as the Coral Fifhers are paid by 
Weight, without any Diftinclion between great and 
fmall Coral, they are not at all felicitous as to the Size, 
Colour or Qiiality, but are barely taken up about the 
Quantity of Coral, that they can take and bring to 
Market. Thefe feem to be the principal and 
moft material Points that relate to the Hiftory of the 
fubmarine Plant. It would be equally ufeful and curi- 
ous, if we could enter into, and furnifh the Reader 
with as copious, and as diftinft Accounts of the other 
Curiofities that occur in our Author’s Travels. Where 
this is in our Power we fhall not fail to do if, but in 
the mean Time, let us return to his Narration, which 
we fhall again purfue in his own Words. 
Near C. de Creux upon the Mountains, they find a 
kind of SelenitiSy which may be cut or flit into very thin 
Plates like the common Mufeevy Glafs. Upon the 
Shore are thrown up Concha venerea of leveral Sorts, 
and Magnitudes, and other fmall Shells of Affinity to 
them, which they call Porcellane. Thefe they put in 
the Juice of Lemons or Citrons, and fet them out in 
an open Bottle all Night. The Dew mingling with 
the acid Juice, diffolves the Porcellane : This Liquor 
they ufe for a Cofmetic. They catch Fifh about C. de 
Creux as at Naples, by hanging a Firebrand or other 
Light at the End of the Boat, which intices the Fifh 
into the Boats. This Day we paflfed by Rofes, a llrong 
Garrifon, Villa facra, and lay at Figera. 
3. September 2. We paffed Crifpia, Eafalon, Argela- 
gtles, and lay at Cajiel Fonlet, five Leagues. All, the 
Way we obferved Abundance of Pomegranate Trees. 
G H B y’s Travels Book II. 
Cajlel Foulet is a fmall Garrifon. On the 3d we paffed 
by Aulot, where we faw a Bujalore, of which there are 
divers in that Town, It is a Hole or Cave, out of 
which continually iffues a cool Air. They keep Bottles 
of Wine, Fruit, lAc. in a little Houfe built over the 
Cave. The Wine here kept drinks as cool as if it were 
kept in Ice or Snow. They fay that it is the Water run-, 
ning and falling down under the Ground that makes 
thefe Spiracula, which is not unlikely. They are all on 
the Left-fide of the River, as you go to ViT on the Right. 
This Day alfo we paffed Rhoda, and lay at f^en 
Leagues. On the 4th we went to the Hill where the 
Amethyfls, or Violet Stones, are found, diflant two 
Leagues from Vibl, called Sigminont. On the Top of 
the Hill is an Hermitage and Place of Devotion, where 
Sigminout, a Burgundian King, did Penance. The A- 
methyfls are found lower in the Side of the Hills. Vif- 
coMCit Jacque is Lord of the Soil, and whoever opens a 
Mine, pays him a Piflole and a half per Menfem. They 
find the Stones by following a Vein of reddifh or black 
Earth, or a Vein in the Rock fo colour’d. They are 
all hexangular, and pointed like Chryflal. There are 
of three Sorts, the beft are the blackeft or deepefl 
Violet ; others are alfo quite white ; fome, but very 
rarely, are found tindured with yellow. They fome- 
times flick a great many together to the Rock, like 
Diamonds, but thofe are never good, the bell are 
found loofe in the Chinks of the Rock, in a fat, yel- 
lowifh, or reddifh Earth. They ferape out this Earth 
with long narrow Knives that enter into the Chinks, 
and then crumble it in Pieces with their Fingers to feel 
for the Stones. They are afterwards ground and po- 
lifhed upon Leaden Moulds, after the fame Manner as 
Chryflal is. Firfl they ufe the Dufl of Smiril or 
and at lafl of Tripoli. All along the Way to this Hill 
we faw Abundance of Arbutus, and Rhus Coriariorum, 
called Rhondo. In this Country they ufe not Bark , of 
Oak to tan their Leather, as we do, but the Leaves 
and Branches of this Shrub, which they firfl bruife with 
a perpendicular Stone, and then mingle with Water, 
and heating the Water lukewarm, fleep the Skins in it 
three or four Days. In thefe Mountains are alfo found 
Emeralds, Gold, and other Sorts of Minerals and 
Stones, but it doth not turn to Account to fearch for 
them. Topazes are found in a Lake called the Lake 
of Sikes, not far from St. Colonna, near Girona. They 
find them upon the Shore of the Lakes. At Vidi there 
is a great Market-place, and a Church at a Convent 
faid to have been built by Charlemagne, when he had 
difeomfited the Saracens, and driven them out of Cata- 
lonia. This Night we lodged at having travelled 
only three Leagues. On the 6th we rode within Sight 
of Montferret, broken at the Top into Rocks, Hand- 
ing like the Teeth of a Saw, from whence it took its 
Name. There is a Chapel of our Lady, a Place of 
great Devotion. This Night we lodged at Cafa della^ 
Pobla, a Angle Inn, five Leagues. 
We came to Cardona, two Leagues, All the Way 
as we rode, the Rocks and Stones were full of round 
Holes, juft like thofe in the Stones at Ancona, in which 
the Pholades harbour, and there is no Queftion but 
thefe Holes have been made by fome Animal before 
the Stones were hardened. 
4. On the 8th, we viewed the Mountain of Salt, 
where were three Officers, one to weigh the Salt, ano- 
ther to receive Money, and the third to keep Accounts. 
The Revenue of this Salt amounts yearly to about 
30,000 Pieces of Ei^ht. For every Quintal, that is 104 
Pounds, they pay ten Reals. The Salt is hard and 
tranfparent, like Chryflal, and when powdered white as 
Snow. They hew it out with Axes and Mattocks, and 
make Chaplets, Boxes, (Ac. of it. They fay there is 
no End of it, but that it reaches to the Center of the 
Earth. Near the Place where they work, there are 
two Caves within the Rock of Salt, to the End of one 
of which they durft never venture. Not fitr from this 
there is another Mountain of Salt, where the Salt flicks 
to the Rocks, and is moft of it tinclured with red. Of 
this red Salt they make broad Plates like Tiles, which 
they call Ruggiolas \ thefe they heat before the Fire, 
