>Randy brought up the fact that cowries were used as ship ballast in
>former centuries.

I'm sure that's true, but you have to wonder how long it would take
to collect, say, 800 pounds of cowries, as opposed to, let's say 800
pounds of sand or rocks. It's one of those historical facts that is
undeniable, but it still sounds a bit loony to me. Then again, maybe
everyone back then had a big shell collection. And wait....did they
use live ones or did they clean them first? I wouldn't want to be on
any ship with 800 pounds of rotting cowries. Ugghh!

Thanks for the info, David. I'm glad you made the ID. It can drive us
all a bit nuts when we find a shell that seems out of place or one we
can't quite identify. I love a happy ending.

Have a great week everyone!
Jim

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