Nae & 
SPONGES oO. 
Bahama waters. There are several species of sponges found in American wat- 
ers which are used for commercial purposes. One of the best is the Violet 
Sponge, a tough, elastic species with a fine fiber, and which does not grow to 
a large size. Then follows the Lambs Wool Sponge which is not quite as 
fine, and which often grows to a large size, sometimes a foot or more in diam- 
eter. The Glove Sponge is also a fine sponge, rather small, and often sold as 
a bath sponge. 
The little Reef Sponge, most often used for a Slate Sponge in our schools, 
is quite fine, but it never grows very large. 
The coarsest sponge of all is the Grass Sponge, which also grows to a large 
size, and is used for a variety of purposes, being sometimes ground up to make 
an inferior kind of felt, which is used for the manufacture of cheap hats. A 
finer fibered sponge, is the Pipe Sponge, also sometimes used for this purpose, 
but in this species the fiber is not tough enough to resist much handling, and 
consequently this sponge is seldom used as a toilet sponge. 
After securing a cargo, the vessel sails for Nassau. Upon arriving at 
that port, the sponges are carried to what is known as the sponge mart or 
market. Here they are placed in bins, each species by itself. It is an in- 
teresting sight to walk down the long corridor between these bins, and note 
the different species of golden colored sponges, which are piled in them. 
All the sponges are sold at auction, and when bought are taken to ware- 
houses where the bases are clipped off in order to remove any bits of rock 
ete. which may adhere to them. They are then pressed into bales and shipped 
all over the world. 
