Telegram-herald., 1890-07-18

FU1AIE OF ALALLAE ELlnE-lc-
les. for large part ot the product is
drisd and sens 70 the howery kingdom
for sale, and the Chinese are proyczbially
close mOutned about their business.
The two most interesting features Of
the Chinese - long shore" industries ere
undoubtedly the sqaid and the abalone
fisheries, both Of which cap be observed
IN tho Bay OF Monterey. which Is III fact
the center Of the sqGid business, but not
OF tho abalone, the latter being more OF
less known 10 the entire coast Of Califor-
nia. especially OF san Luis Obispo and
Ventura.
On the shores Of Monterey Bay. south
OF the old town. are the remains Of the
c-lce flourishing works of e whaling com
pany. The ground" writes a recent
visitor TO the place, ''is ell 50 saturated
with oil that it gives under foot ike a
poor asphaltum payemen: on q hot Au-
gust day"
An occasional whale and good many
basking sharks are still tried out for
their oil either here or on the shores of
Carmel BAY, six miles walk, and between
the two whaling camps are the Chinese
villages for squid fishing and abalone
catching.
On the rounded powders below the
cliff. in the midst OF 'unspealIable dirt" {"
are the Chinese shanties and hundreds
OF drying frames of pine laths. These
frames are covered for many weeks in
the autumn with the oily squid, fish
about as long rs ones hand. They enter
tho bay in vast schools and are netted
by tons. They are split and boned, dried
for two days on the frames and then
thrown on the sand to complete the proc
ess Of drying. The packing is done by
trampling them close together in great
sacks. Cod and halibut come and go,
bat the great schools of squid, which
10 American viii eat, are the main re-
lance of the Chinese fishing companies
Of the region.
The Chinese villages, as seen in the
afternoon from the bay, with their junks
and lateen sailed fishing craft drawn up
on the beach or coming in with their
freight, the widespread nets, the
I children in red and yellow, the curious
4 balconies projecting over the water,
/ the flags and high scafolds. and
acres of drying fish, all seem to be
thoroughly Asiatic, aud the Asia also of
the great Mongoian lowlands of sleepy
rivers and squalid little fishing villages,
such as travellers in China describe.
Sometimes the Chinese build on the cliffs,
but by far the greater part of their
camps" are set between sea and cliff, v
and often miles from any town or rail
road
There are Italian fishing villages, too,
but these are not unlike such villages the
world over, and they are far less pictur-
esque than those OF the Chinese. They
are perhaps seen at their best on San
Francisco and Tomales bays. The Ital-
fans never 20 very far from their mar
kets, for they aim 10 supply all the food
fishes and leave the squid and abalones
10 the Cinnamon. Crabs and shrimp;
are gathered in by Italians. Portuguese
and Cinnamon alike. The oyster trade
is in the hands of Italians and Americans
tie latter controlling some OF the larger
California companies.
But the most curious food product oi
the Pacific coast IS probably that beauti
ful AID useful nOllusk the abalone
which has made many Chinaman rich
enough 70 return to his native land, buy
n rice farm and settle down "a the naboi
Of his village. The abalOEe IS univalvC