164 REPOET OF COMMISSIONER ■ OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



in value, exclusive of outtit, earrv from 5 to 13 nicii, while the smaller 

 vessels, which average in value about $780, includino- outfit, carr}^ 

 crews of from 3 to 5 men. 



The larger Key West vessels make three to four trips per year to 

 the "bay grounds,-' and some of them make one or two trips to the 

 "key grounds." Each "bay" trip occupies about two months, while 

 the "key" trip is made in about a month. The Tarpon Springs and 

 Apalachicola vessels average about live trips each year, each trip occu- 

 pying about two months. None of these latter vessels visits the " ke}- 

 grounds." 



The "bay" trips are usually arranged as follow^s: 



The first trip begins about the first week of Januaiy, and ends from 

 the 10th to the 20th of March, the spongers working from the mouth of 

 Anclote River to St. Martins Reef, about 10 miles. Man}'- of the 

 vessels do not make this trip, as the weather is usually cold and windy. 



The second trip begins about April 1 and ends from the 10th to the 

 20th of June. The grounds between Johns Pass and Cedar Key arc 

 visited during this trip. 



The next trip begins about July 1 and ends from the middle of August 

 to the 1st of September, and is also carried on between Johns Pass and 

 Cedar Key. This is usuall}^ the best trip of the year. 



The fourth trip is called the "hurricane trip," from the fact that it 

 is prosecuted during the hurricane season, and lasts from the middle 

 of August to about the 10th of October, the same grounds being visited 

 as on the two previous trips. 



The last trip usuall}^ begins the earl}^ part of November and ends 

 December 20, the Rock Island grounds being visited. 



A number of the vessels refit previous to the last trip, while others 

 wait until the first two months of the year for this purpose. 



The crews work on shares. The owner, or "outfitter," furnishes the 

 food, fuel, boats, apparatus, etc., for the trip. While sponging in 

 the "bay" each member of the crew is assessed 35 cents per trip for 

 watchman's fee at the "kraals," and 50 cents per trip for wood. After 

 deducting these two items from the gross proceeds of the trip, the 

 vessel takes half of the remainder, and the other half is divided up 

 equall}" among the crew. Besides his regular share with the crew, 

 the captain gets 10 per cent of the vessel's share, and each "hooker" 

 gets one-fourth of one share from the vessel's portion. Should the 

 captain also be a "hooker," which is generally the case, he only gets 

 his regular 10 per cent. 



The same division of proceeds is followed on the "key "' trips, except 

 that there are no charges for watchmen and for wood. I'he luen gen- 

 erally camp on the keys where wood and water are convenient, and as 

 settlers are scarce in this region the "kraals" do not have to be guarded. 



The only apparatus used in this fishery is the sponge hook, a three- 

 toothed curved hook attached to poles of varying lengths, according 



