532 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 
a loss of 25 men. ‘The decisive action on this occasion of the Cretan Govern- 
ment has greatly encouraged the opponents of the diving machine, and has 
led to similar requests in regard to the sponge grounds of Turkey, Italy, Tunis, 
Cyprus, and the Gulf of Mexico. In any event, the governments of Greece 
and Turkey have before them the important duty, whether or not they forbid 
the diving machine in their own territory, to prevent their own subjects from 
violation of the laws of other countries. And such violation when it does occur 
should be punished by confiscation of the ship’s papers for a year or more, and 
forever in case of repeated offense. 
It will be noted from the foregoing that the position of Crete in regard to 
the sponge fisheries and her attitude in the present question is most important 
and worthy of admiration. 
CYPRUS. 
Cyprus likewise has rich sponge banks but no native fishermen. The 
harmless dragnet was long ago prohibited, but the diving machine was permitted 
until 1901, when, the authorities having been enlisted against this abuse, a law 
was obtained which remained in force for three years. In 1904 the partisans 
of the apparatus succeeded in obtaining authority for a limited number of 
diving machines, under pretext of work to be done in the harbor of Famagusta. 
The naked divers and hookers were driven away by the conditions operating 
to their hardship; and a plan for a colony of sponge fishermen, as in Egypt, 
likewise came to nothing, naturally, since it of necessity involved the discon- 
tinuance of machine diving. At the present time the Government of Cyprus 
leases to the highest bidder the privilege of using six diving machines in one and 
the other half of the waters alternately, a misstep which is the more astonishing 
in the face of the wholesome example of near-by Egypt. 
TUNIS. 
The Regency of Tunis has extensive sponge banks, and numerous sponge 
fishermen, about 1,500, on 400 barks equipped with hooks. A great number 
besides come yearly from Italy, Greece, and Turkey. I lack statistics for 
Tunis, however. At my solicitation the scaphander was prohibited in 1901, but 
unfortunately, notwithstanding the apparatus is termed ‘‘engin destructeur” in 
the language of the decree, enforcement of the prohibition has failed, through 
intrigues of the opposing forces. 
TURKEY. 
Turkey has the most and the best sponge fishermen, but unfortunately 
official statistics of the sponge fisheries are entirely lacking. The chief localities 
are Kalymnos with 18,000 inhabitants, Syme with 20,000, Chalke with 6,000, 
