The Red Coral 599 
the extremity, there is a small open net. The machine 
is suspended by a rope, and dragged along those rocks 
where the Coral is most abundant : and such as is broken 
off either becomes entangled in the hemp, or falls into 
the nets. 
Coral is bought by weight, and its value increases 
according to its size. Beads of large size are worth 
about forty shillings an ounce, whilst small ones do 
not sell for more than four shillings. Large pieces 
of Coral are sometimes cut into balls, and exported to 
China, to be worn as insignia in the caps of officers of 
state. These, if perfectly sound and of good colour, and 
upwards of an inch in diameter, have been known to pro- 
duce in that market, as much as three to four hundred 
pounds sterling each. There are extant many beautiful 
pieces of sculpture in coral, as this substance has in all 
ages been considered an admirable material on which to 
exhibit the artist's taste and skill. Probably the finest 
specimen of sculptured Coral yet known is a chess-board 
and men in the palace of the Tuileries. 
The Chinese have, within the last few years, succeeded 
in cutting coral beads of much smaller dimension than 
has hitherto been effected by any European artist. These, 
which are not larger than small pins' heads, are called 
Seed Coral, and are now imported from China into this 
country, in very considerable quantity for necklaces. 
There are modes by which Coral may be so exactly 
imitated, that without a close inspection, it is sometimes 
impossible to detect the counterfeit. 
