560 
FOURTH BULLETIN OF 
[1846. 
in the greatest abundance. The Chinese manufacture pearl shells into a great 
number of trinkets and toys, as beads, seals, knife handles, spoons, boxes, &c. 
They also inlay them in lacquered ware to represent flowers, trees, &c., where the 
play of colors is very rich. But the Japanese excel in this work. The shells are 
brought in the rough state by the junks and foreign vessels, and sell from nine to 
twelve dollars per pecul. When exported the price is a little in advance. 
Musk.—The genuine is much prized, and is rare and costly, on which account 
it is often much adulterated. It is found on a species of antelope, the mochus 
mochifera, inhabiting Thibet, Siberia, and China. In this market musk is found 
in the bags, about as large as a walnut, in which it grows on the animal. The price 
varies from forty-five to sixty dollars a catty, according to the quality. It is used 
for perfumery and medicine. The musk-ox of North America produces this sub¬ 
stance of an inferior quality, and that which comes from Russia is very inferior. 
Beeswax.—Considerable quantities of beeswax are imported into Canton from 
Europe and the Indian Archipelago, and in some measure it has superseded the pro¬ 
duct of the tallow-tree, (the stillingua sebefera.) It is used in Canton for cases 
or envelopes for the tallow of the stillingen in the manufacture of candles used in 
their temples. It is worth about five dollars per pecul. 
Coral.—Coral is brought from all the islands of the Indian Archipelago, and is 
wrought by the Chinese into many ornaments. It sells at from forty to sixty dol¬ 
lars per pecul, according to the color, density, and size of the fragments. It is 
made into buttons and beads used among the Chinese as insignia of office. 
Elephants’ Teeth.—These are brought from Africa, Siam, Burmah, &c. The 
largest and best weigh from five to eight to a pecul, and decrease in size to twenty 
five in a pecul. The Chinese manufacture a great number of fancy articles from 
them, such as card cases, boxes, miniature ships, junks, &c. A Chinese will work 
a month on a card case and then sell it for three dollars. The figures are sketched 
first with a pencil, and with a number of small steel instruments the ivory is cut 
and scraped away so as to leave the figures in full relief. From a quantity of ivory 
worth three dollars, they will make a toy worth one hundred dollars. The ivory is 
softened previously to cutting, as is often supposed by foreigners. The largest 
teeth are valued at ninety dollars a pecul, and the cutting at seventy dollars. The 
principal part is brought from Burmah and Siam. 
Fish-maws.—These are the stomacks of fishes, and are used as an article of luxu¬ 
ry among the Chinese. These are of a cartilagenous nature. They are brought 
in junks from the India islands. The price is from thirty-five to seventy dollars 
per pecul. It is used for food, as a tonic and aphrodisiac. 
Glue.—This article has become an article of export from China, being sent to 
India, and even beyond the cape, but is inferior in quality to American or Euro¬ 
pean. It sells from eight to ten dollars per pecul. 
Shark’s Fins.—The fins of the shark are sought for from the Indian ocean to the 
Sandwich islands to supply this market. The chief supply is from Bombay and 
the Persian gulf. They are fat and cartilaginous, and when cooked, esteemed by 
the Chinese as a stimulant and tonic. They should be well dried, and kept from 
any moisture. About five hundred pieces are contained in a pecul. The price is 
from fifteen to forty-five dollars a pecul. 
Skins.—These were formerly one of the most profitable articles that could be 
taken to Canton. But their high prices and the introduction of woolen goods has 
naturally lessened their importation. Seal and otter are the most in request, the 
latter selling as high as forty dollars a skin. Beaver, fox, and rabbit are in demand, 
but the supply is limited. Many skins are brought to Pekin from Siberia by the 
Russians. 
Stock-fish.—These are dried fish brought from Germany, cured without the use 
of salt. In appearance, when preserved, they resemble codfish. The quantity 
brought is small. The price is about four dollars or five dollars a pecul. 
Tortoise shell.—This is the crustaceous covering of the testudo imbricata, found 
on the shores of most of the Indian islands. The common name is hawk-bill 
tortoise. The shell is thicker, clearer, and more variegated than that of any other 
species, and constitutes the sole value of the animal. It is heart form, and consists 
of thirteen inner, with twenty-five marginal divisions. The middle side pieces are 
thickest, longest, and the most valuable. The others are denominated *'* hoof.’ 9 
