﻿300 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  tlie 
  depletion 
  of 
  the 
  sponge-beds 
  lying 
  at 
  a 
  depth 
  of 
  3 
  to 
  5 
  fathoms, 
  the 
  

   spongers 
  were 
  obliged 
  to 
  seek 
  grounds 
  farther 
  from 
  shore 
  and 
  in 
  

   deeper 
  water. 
  In 
  hooking 
  the 
  sponges 
  in 
  deep 
  water 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  an 
  easy 
  

   matter 
  to 
  bring 
  the 
  light 
  pole 
  (one-half 
  to 
  2 
  inches 
  in 
  diameter) 
  to 
  bear 
  

   on 
  the 
  sponge, 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  buoyant 
  action 
  of 
  the 
  water, 
  the 
  presence 
  

   of 
  strong 
  currents, 
  and 
  the 
  movements 
  of 
  the 
  boat. 
  In 
  the 
  efforts 
  to 
  

   overcome 
  these 
  difficulties 
  it 
  was 
  found 
  that 
  by 
  attaching 
  weights 
  to 
  

   the 
  pole 
  near 
  its 
  lower 
  end 
  the 
  work 
  of 
  the 
  spongers 
  was 
  iacilitated, 
  

   and 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  weights 
  in 
  this 
  way 
  suggested 
  the 
  further 
  improvement 
  

   which 
  has 
  since 
  been 
  generally 
  adopted, 
  namely, 
  the 
  mali:ing 
  of 
  a 
  

   sponge 
  hook 
  with 
  a 
  longer 
  and 
  much 
  heavier 
  shank 
  than 
  had 
  been 
  

   l)veviously 
  used. 
  The 
  so-called 
  "long 
  shanked 
  hook" 
  enables 
  the 
  

   sponger 
  to 
  more 
  readily 
  sink 
  and 
  keep 
  in 
  iwsition 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  pole, 
  

   and 
  is 
  now 
  used 
  in 
  all 
  of 
  the 
  deep-water 
  fishing, 
  although 
  in 
  the 
  fishing 
  

   around 
  the 
  keys 
  and 
  in 
  shallow 
  water 
  generally 
  the 
  shorter 
  and 
  lighter 
  

   hook 
  continues 
  to 
  be 
  employed. 
  Instead 
  of 
  having 
  the 
  shank 
  only 
  

   inches 
  in 
  length, 
  as 
  is 
  the 
  case 
  with 
  the 
  smaller 
  hooks, 
  the 
  imi)roved 
  

   hook 
  measures 
  over 
  2 
  feet 
  in 
  the 
  shank 
  and 
  weighs 
  about 
  5 
  pounds 
  

   against 
  li 
  to 
  2 
  pounds. 
  

  

  The 
  only 
  other 
  apparatus 
  required 
  in 
  taking 
  sponges 
  is 
  the 
  very 
  

   simple 
  but 
  effective 
  water-glass. 
  This 
  is 
  an 
  ordinary 
  water 
  -bucket, 
  the 
  

   bottom 
  of 
  which 
  has 
  been 
  replaced 
  with 
  glass. 
  By 
  means 
  of 
  it 
  the 
  

   sponger 
  is 
  able 
  to 
  distinguish 
  objects 
  on 
  the 
  bottom 
  with 
  great 
  clear- 
  

   ness, 
  even 
  in 
  comparatively 
  deep 
  water, 
  and 
  he 
  finds 
  it 
  is 
  an 
  essential 
  

   article 
  in 
  all 
  of 
  the 
  sponging 
  now 
  carried 
  on, 
  except 
  in 
  shallow 
  water. 
  

   One 
  glass 
  is 
  the 
  complement 
  of 
  each 
  boat. 
  While 
  one 
  man 
  is 
  steadying 
  

   or 
  propelling 
  the 
  boat 
  with 
  an 
  oar, 
  the 
  other 
  member 
  of 
  the 
  crew 
  leans 
  

   over 
  the 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  boat 
  and 
  manipulates 
  the 
  water-glass 
  and 
  the 
  pole, 
  

   and 
  as 
  the 
  sponges 
  are 
  brought 
  into 
  view 
  by 
  the 
  aid 
  of 
  the 
  glass, 
  he 
  

   detaches 
  them 
  by 
  inserting 
  the 
  hook 
  beneath 
  them 
  and 
  pulls 
  them 
  to 
  

   the 
  surface. 
  When 
  a 
  sponge 
  that 
  has 
  been 
  loosened 
  from 
  the 
  bottom 
  

   becomes 
  separated 
  from 
  the 
  hook 
  great 
  difficulty 
  is 
  experienced 
  in 
  

   securing 
  it, 
  and 
  it 
  may 
  become 
  what 
  the 
  spongers 
  call 
  a 
  ''roller" 
  or 
  

   "rolling 
  John." 
  

  

  When 
  first 
  taken 
  from 
  the 
  water 
  the 
  sponges 
  are 
  black 
  and 
  slimy. 
  

   The 
  essential 
  treatment 
  they 
  subsequently 
  receive 
  before 
  being 
  sold 
  

   consists 
  (1) 
  in 
  exposing 
  them 
  to 
  the 
  action 
  of 
  the 
  sun 
  and 
  air 
  on 
  the 
  

   vessel's 
  deck 
  until 
  they 
  are 
  killed, 
  which 
  usually 
  requires 
  several 
  days; 
  

   (2) 
  in 
  placing 
  them 
  for 
  about 
  a 
  week 
  in 
  the 
  crawls 
  or 
  pens 
  where 
  the 
  

   decay 
  of 
  the 
  gurry 
  or 
  animal 
  matter 
  that 
  began 
  on 
  the 
  vessel 
  is 
  con- 
  

   tinued; 
  (3) 
  in 
  beating 
  the 
  sponges 
  while 
  wet 
  with 
  a 
  wooden 
  paddle 
  to 
  

   drive 
  out 
  the 
  decomposed 
  animal 
  matter 
  and 
  in 
  scraping 
  with 
  a 
  knife 
  

   those 
  sponges 
  to 
  which 
  the 
  black 
  scum 
  still 
  adheres; 
  (4) 
  in 
  squeezing 
  

   them 
  to 
  force 
  out 
  the 
  remaining 
  gurry 
  and 
  water 
  and 
  ])lacing 
  them 
  on 
  

   sliore; 
  (5) 
  in 
  stringing 
  them 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  a 
  large 
  needle 
  threaded 
  with 
  

   coarse 
  twine 
  and 
  tying 
  them 
  in 
  bunches 
  about 
  5 
  feet 
  in 
  circumference. 
  

   Some 
  attention 
  is 
  given 
  to 
  the 
  selection 
  of 
  sponges 
  of 
  similar 
  size 
  and 
  

  

  