THE COMMERCIAL SPONGES AND THE SPONGE FISHERIES. 499 
on the deck of the vessel is burdened until he is hardly able to walk, partly 
by the essentials of his dress, but largely by weights which he deliberately adds 
for the express purpose of enabling him to keep on the bottom when sub- 
merged. After his descent, when his dress becomes inflated, it is necessary to 
release air from time to time, not only for purposes of respiration, but to 
prevent the buoyancy of his inflated suit from raising him to the surface, and 
should he lose a weight on a shoe he will immediately lose control of himself 
and float. It is one of the well-known restrictions of working in the diving 
dress that while a strong upward pull can be exerted a vigorous lateral push 
can be put forth only when the diver can place his foot or some part of his 
body against a fixed object, while even a moderately effective downward push 
or blow can not be delivered unless the operator can anchor himself by holding 
with his hand or other means. These restrictions in the employment of his 
full strength all result from the lightness with which the diver rests on the 
bottom, the ponderous and grotesque object which can barely stagger on the 
deck of the boat treading gently with but a few pounds pressure as he travels 
over the bottom. As the weight with which the diver actually treads could 
seriously injure none but the very smallest sponges, and as his footprints can 
not possibly cover more than a very small proportion of the ground over which 
he works, this objection to the diving machine can well be totally disregarded. 
The second objection stated above is more serious. It has been claimed 
by some opponents of diving that the diver is unable to distinguish accurately 
the size of the sponges, owing to the optical conditions under which he works, 
while the advocates of the method claim that he is in much better position to do 
so than is the hooker, looking through a deep stratum of water of variable trans- 
parency. There is but little doubt that experienced divers, depending not only 
on eyesight but upon touch, can distinguish with sufficient nicety to avoid flagrant 
breach of the law and common prudence, but so long as undersized sponges 
have a market and infractions of the law are not punished they will not hesitate 
to pluck most of the young sponges which come in their way. Whether they 
do the damage knowingly or unwittingly is of no material moment, however, 
in the face of the fact that the damage is done, and there is no doubt that immense 
numbers of small sponges are brought in by the divers, many of them being 
sold in the exchange at Tarpon Springs, while undoubtedly a much larger num- 
ber are shipped for sale in other markets. The proportion of these sponges to 
the total catch appears to be much larger than among the product of the hookers. 
Another phase of this matter is concerned not so much with the taking of 
the young sponges as with the thoroughness with which the bottom is denuded 
of all sizes. In working over rough bottom especially, the hookers and har- 
pooners always leave a considerable proportion of the sponges, not from choice 
but because they are overlooked, hidden from view from above or inaccessible 
