[ 459 ] 
grows among the rocks, and in the caverns of the 
fea, open to every expofure. It had always been 
faid, that it never grew in caverns open to the 
north ; they muft always be expofed to the fouth, at 
lead to the eaft or weft : but upon the coaft of Bar- 
bary, which lies open to the north,, coral is not lefs 
frequently found than elfewhere. It is generally ob- 
ferved to grow better and more readily in Shallow 
than in deep water ; and though they generally fifti 
for it at the depth of ten or twelve fathom, they 
fometimes get it, though but feldom, at an hundred 
and twenty* 
M. de Peyflbnnel then gives us the manner of 
coral-fifhing, and defcribes two different machines 
made ufe of for this purpofe: one, for fifhing up 
the coral where the bottom is fmooth, and it is the 
fame, which is defcribed by Gaffendi in his life of 
Peyrefkius. The other, which is called in the Pro- 
vencal language the falabre , is conftruCted fo, as to 
be employ’d where the bottom of the fea is rocky 
and unequal. He takes notice of the great fkill 
and addrefs of the coral-fifhers in the management 
of thefe machines, as well as their fagacity, in find- 
ing, at confiderable diftances from the fhore, the 
very places, where fome time before they have been 
fuccefsful. I am forry he has omitted to fend us 
the figures and representations of this fifhing, which 
he tells us he has in his mufseum. 
In the courfe of this work, our author takes no- 
tice, that all the productions of the fea, of which he is 
now treating, have beenconfider’d by naturalifts fome- 
times as ftones, and fometimes as plants. Their ftony 
fubftance deceived fome, their tree-like appearance 
M m m 2 others 5 
