a4 SPONGES 
of water tends to wash out the animal matter from the sponges. This is quite 
easily accomplished, as the sponge flesh decays very rapidly when it hquifies. 
The sponges are left in the crawls for one week, then upon the arrival of 
the vessel with the second cargo, for she sails for the sponge bank on Monday 
morning before day break for a fresh supply, they are removed, but before 
this, what little sponge flesh remains after this washing, is beaten out by men 
who enter the crawls for this purpose. No clothing can be worn when beating 
out sponges, for although the commercial sponges are composed wholly of horny 
matter, the sponges take in numerous spicules left by the spicuhigenous spon- 
ges in the water, and clothing assists these spicules to enter the flesh. 
When the first crop of sponges is washed, they are placed upon a clean 
bed made of the fronds of a species of palm whieh grows abundantly on many 
of the Bahama Keys. When these sponges are dry they are sorted, each species 
not only being kept by itself. but the different qualities of each kind are 
kept apart. 
These sponges are left in heaps until a cargo is seeured, or until the pro- 
visions are exhausted. It speaks well for the honesty of the spongersin gen- 
eral, that these sponges are left wholly unguarded when the vessels are away 
securing other cargos. The next operation is to place the sponges upon strings 
made from the fibrous fronds of the same species of palm which are used 
asa bed. Then they are ready for market. 
While it is true that the best and finest sponges come from the Mediter- 
ranean Sea, itis also true that many fine species are found in Florida and 
