300 
THE OCEAN WORLD. 
the fish, the fishermen throw them, while still living, into a cauldron 
of boiling sea water, where they are stirred about by means of a long 
pole, which is supported upon another pole fixed in the earth, but 
having a forked end, which acts as a lever. In this process the tre- 
pang gives up all the water it contains, and is withdrawn at the end 
of two minutes. A man armed with a large knife now extracts the 
entrails, and it is thrown into a second cauldron, having only a sinafl 
quantity of water, seasoned with mimosa bark. The object of this 
second operation is to smoke the animal in order to preserve it the 
better, for tbe bark is consumed in the process. The trepang is non' 
placed upon hurdles and dried in the sun. When sufficiently dried, h 
is stowed away in the hold of the proa. 
“ It was about two o’clock in the afternoon when the divers ceased 
their labours and came ashore. My tent was soon surrounded. I recog' 
nised the captain of the proa among them who had previously visited m e - 
He approached and examined all the instruments used in the Obser- 
vatory with great attention, seeking to discover their use. I showed him 9 
gun with percussion cap, which astonished him greatly, especially when 
I pointed out to him its great superiority over the flint-lock. 2 e 
assured me that these arms were still unknown in the Celebes, h lS 
country ; but he failed to convince me of that. He questioned me aS 
to the places we had visited, and where we were going. I endea - 
voured to sketch a map of New Holland, New Zealand, and NeW 
Guinea upon a leaf. He then took my pencil, and added to it th e 
Indian Archipelago, the coasts of China and Japan, and the Philip I>irr e 
Islands. Surprised, in my turn, I asked him if he had visited 
these places. Ho replied in the negative ; but added that he knew 
their position perfectly, and could easily take his vessel to any 
them. Finally, the interview terminated by his asking for a glass of 
arrack. I do not know if this intelligent Malay professed the Mah°' 
metan religion, but I do know that he drank half a bottle of wine and 
a quarter of a pint of arrack without being at all the worse for it. ^ 
then offered me some prepared trepang, inviting me to taste it, which 
did ; to me it appeared to resemble the lobster in taste. My 
liked it, and thankfully accepted the captain’s offer; for my p ar h 
felt an utter repugnance even to taste it. 
“ According to the account I had from the Malay captain, the p rice 
of trepang in the Chinese markets was fifteen rupees, about thirty shn' 
