. The sea [microform] : its stirring story of adventure, peril & heroism. Adventure and adventurers; Voyages and travels; Ocean; Aventures et aventuriers; Voyages; Océan. I? I: 11 , ,' m :i| 72 THE .i»" Passing on to another of ocean's boautiful treasures, coral, it must be understood that the valuable coral of commerce used for purposes of ornament has little in common with that of the coral islands, while in a scientiiic point of view it does not come under the same classi- fication at all. The coral used in jewellery, carvings, and ornaments belongs to the group Coralliua, of
. The sea [microform] : its stirring story of adventure, peril & heroism. Adventure and adventurers; Voyages and travels; Ocean; Aventures et aventuriers; Voyages; Océan. I? I: 11 , ,' m :i| 72 THE .i»" Passing on to another of ocean's boautiful treasures, coral, it must be understood that the valuable coral of commerce used for purposes of ornament has little in common with that of the coral islands, while in a scientiiic point of view it does not come under the same classi- fication at all. The coral used in jewellery, carvings, and ornaments belongs to the group Coralliua, of the order GurrjoHidic, while that of the reefs or islands belongs Lo the large group of Madrepores. The coral was long considered a sea-plant, but what was once taken for a flower is, in fact, a kind of polyp, which lives in colonies. A branch of living coral is an aggregation of animals united among themselves by a common tissue, yet seemingly enjoying a separate existence. The branch undoubtedly owes its rvigin to an egg, and ' consists of two distinct parts—the one hard, brittle, and stony; the other external, and soft and fleshy. The latter is a united family of polyps, animals having feelers or tentacles, and very sensitive, and further, possessing generative or budding powers. The subject is, however, of a nature too scientific to be fully treated here. The Greeks called it a " daughter of the sea," and as in so many other things, they were right. The fisheries are princii>ally confined to the Mediterran ^u'l, and the fishing is conducted mainly by sailors from Genoa, Leghorn, and Naples. It is so fatiguing that it is a common saying in Italy that a sailor obliged to go to the coral fishery must either be a thief or an assassin. The saying C(jnvoys a good idea enough of the occupation. The best men can only earn four to six hundred francs (£10 to £24) in the season fif six months. Thoy work eighteen hours per diem, and are allowed very little more rati
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, booksubjectocean, booksubjectvoyagesandtravels
