FISHERIES OF THE COASTAL WATERS OF FLORIDA. 43 



The Key West sponge fleet in 1895 consisted of 99 vessels of 5 tons 

 and over, and about 183 vessels of under 5 tons' measurement. The 

 vessels sufficiently large to take out customs papers had a combined 

 tonnage of 1,204, carried 825 men. and were worth, with their boats? 

 apparatus, and outfit, $210,751. Eighty-six of these vessels were 

 schooners and 13 were sloops. The smaller vessels carried 594 men 

 and had an aggregate value of $36,330, including boats, apparatus, etc. 

 It is thus seen that 1,419 fishermen were employed in the Key West 

 sponge fishery in 1895, and the capital invested was $253,081. 



From information furnished by the dealers who bought the catch of 

 the Key West sponge vessels, it appears that in 1895 the yield of all 

 kinds of sponges was 280,372 pounds, having a first value of $344,015, 

 this being an average price of $1.23 per pound. The quantity and 

 value of the different kinds of sponges were as follows: 



The Bock Islaud fishing in the fall and winter of 1890 was very poor, 

 the season being almost a total failure. The vessels that arrived at 

 Key West from the bay grounds in December had exceedingly limited 

 cargoes, and the fishing, as a whole, did not pay expenses. 



THE SPONGE TRADE. 



Nearly the entire catch of the Key West spongers is sold locally to 

 regular dealers, the only exception being a small quantity of sponges 

 sometimes sold at points on the west coast of Florida nearer the sponge 

 grounds than Key West. 



The method adopted by the spongers for disposing of their cargoes 

 is the one that has prevailed since the beginning of the business. The 

 sponges from a given vessel are unloaded on a wharf and, after being 

 inspected by the buyers, are bid on, as in regular auctions. The buyers 

 however, have only one bid on each cargo, and make a written tender 

 to the crier, who announces the different bids after all are submitted. 

 No opportunity is afforded the buyers to weigh the sponges, and the 

 calculation of the quantity of each species and grade of sponge and 

 the probable value of the cargo has to be made rapidly from a mere 

 glance at each bunch. 



It can be readily understood that when a vessel load of sponges con- 

 sists of half a dozeu or more qualities, each with a different market 

 price, great discretion is required to gauge its value even approxi- 

 mately. The most experienced buyers sometimes make costly mistakes, 



