Page:History of the Indian Archipelago Vol 3.djvu/458

 4l^2 COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION OF of animation. Some of the fish is occasionally as much as two feet in length, and from seven to eight inches in circumference. The length of a span, and the girth of from two to three inches, however, is the ordinary size. The quality or va- lue of the fish, however, does by no means depend upon its size, but upon properties in them, neither obvious to, nor discernible by, those who have not had a long and intimate experience of the trade. The Chinese merchants are almost the only persons who possess this skill, even the native fishermen them- selves being often ignorant on the subject, and al- ways leaving the cargo to be assorted by the Chi- nese on their return to port. The commercial classification made by the Chinese is curious and particular. In the market of Macassar the great- est staple of this fishery, not less than thirty varie- ties are distinguished, varying in price from five Spanish dollars per picul to fourteen times that price, each being particularized by well known names. To satisfy curiosity I shall give a few of them, with their ordinary prices. Tacheritang costs 68 Spanish dollars. Batu-basar 54 Batu-tangah 22 Batu-kachil 14> Itam-basar 30 Itam-tangah 15