The shell is found in straits where the tide is strongest, making it impossible to operate except at "slack" water. The shells lie in heaps, one on the top of the other, and in some places scattered apart. In the London market, the value of the shell, which has to be cleaned, scraped, and packed in cases previous to shipping, varies from L90 to L170 a ton according to quality. The most valuable are "chicken" or young shell. It takes 600 to make a ton, the average weight being about 3 lbs. The cost of the cases is 5_s._ 6_d._ each, and the shipping expenses from New Guinea to London amount to L15 to L20 a ton, including London commission. Valuable pearls are occasionally found in the shells, in the belly of the fish, and are produced by a disease of the shell, and are found only in grubby, wormeaten ones. Pearl shelling in New Guinea is pretty well worked out, as no new patches have been discovered for some months. Beche-de-mer or "Trepang" is a kind of sea slug, and is found on the reefs in a few feet of water. There are eight different species, differing greatly in value, viz., teat, black, red, prickly red, surf red, lollie, white and sand. The best, "teat," so called from the formation of "teats" on the fish, is worth from L100 to L130 at the nearest Queensland port (Cooktown), whilst lollie is of the value of L25 to L30 a ton. The whole of it is purchased by the Chinese merchants and is shipped to Hong-Kong, where it is eventually retailed out at a very high figure. It is most nutritious and makes capital soup. Two fish will make enough soup for six persons. It requires a great deal of boiling, twenty-four hours being the allotted time. The method of obtaining it, is to go with two or three boats full of natives to a large reef, choosing fine, calm weather, when the natives dive for them. You then erect a smoke-house on shore, or, if the vessel be large enough, on board, get your boilers and boil the fish well. Your smoke-house should have three separate layers or slides; care should be taken to keep up a good fire and to change your fish from one slide to the other. The fuel used is wood, of which you can always get a plentiful supply. The whole operation takes about three days; you then refill your boilers and proceed in like manner. The fish should now be thoroughly cured. You then bag it in corn sacks, and previous to shipping, capsize the bags, dry the fish in the sun, sort out the various species and qualities, re-bag them, and send them away.