THE COMMERCIAL SPONGES AND THE SPONGE FISHERIES. 449 
feet). Siebe, a recognized authority, states that 150 feet is the maximum limit 
for safe diving by physically sound men, and that the greatest diving feat known 
is astay of forty-two minutes in a depth of 201 feet. 
The proceeds of a sponge diver’s work depend upon a number of condi- 
tions—his own skill and industry, the condition of the water, and the abundance, 
size, and distribution of the sponges on the bottom. During the spring and 
summer of 1906, when the boats were working in from 4o to 60 feet of water, 
with good average weather conditions and sponges relatively abundant, two divers 
working alternately were taking on an average about 20 bunches a day, or, making 
allowance for time lost from various reasons, between 25 and 30 bunches per 
working day. One of the most successful trips averaged 50 bunches per day 
for each diver, or about 500 bunches in five days for the boat. For single days 
this average has been considerably exceeded. 
During the season for diving, which under act of Congress began October 1, 
1907, and closed April 30, 1908, the conditions were far from favorable, the 
weather especially during the winter and spring being unusually turbulent and 
the water almost constantly turbid. In consequence of this the divers were 
working closer to shore, in water of much less depth than the minimum pre- 
scribed by law, and in April I saw two boats operating even within state juris- 
diction. The sponges brought in were ragged and inferior in size and quality, 
and many of them were, moreover, poorly cleaned. The proportion of small 
sponges was large, the limit prescribed by law being almost wholly disregarded, 
as was also the case during the season preceding. I saw large quantities of 
small sponges in some of the packing houses, and it is a matter of common 
notoriety in Tarpon Springs that many small sponges packed in bags are shipped 
by the Greek spongers without ever being exposed to sale at the Sponge Ex- 
change. 
Owing to the unfavorable weather the product per outfit during the 
season from October 1, 1907, to May 1, 1908, was much below that stated 
above, averaging about 300 bunches per boat per month. The total yield was 
$392,399, as compared with $638,766 the year before, but this was due in 
part to the restriction of the diving season to seven months during the period 
least favorable for work. The character of the catch during the season is 
indicated by the fact that 50 per cent of the sponges were larger than twelves, 
about 12 per cent were twelves or smaller, and 38 per cent were packed as cuts 
and seconds. The yield was inferior in quality to that of the first year of the 
fishery, but was about the same as in 1906, excepting that the proportion of cuts 
and seconds was higher. 
During the winter of 1908-9 the yield of sponges on days when the weather 
was favorable was from 10 to 15 bunches per diving boat. The following actual 
B. B. F. 1908—29. 
