﻿302 
  RErOliT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  are 
  locked 
  by 
  ineans 
  of 
  the 
  loop 
  and 
  peg 
  and 
  the 
  tongs 
  lowered 
  to 
  the 
  

   bottom. 
  l>y 
  suddenly 
  dropping 
  the 
  tongs 
  from 
  the 
  height 
  of 
  a 
  few 
  feet 
  

   from 
  the 
  bottom 
  the 
  loop 
  slips 
  off 
  the 
  pin 
  by 
  virtne 
  of 
  the 
  weight 
  

   referred 
  to, 
  and 
  the 
  teeth 
  will 
  then 
  ai)i)roach 
  each 
  other 
  when 
  the 
  ropes 
  

   are 
  hauled 
  taut. 
  The 
  weiglit 
  and 
  the 
  loop 
  and 
  peg 
  may, 
  however, 
  if 
  

   desired, 
  be 
  dispensed 
  with 
  by 
  attaching 
  a 
  line 
  to 
  the 
  crossing 
  point 
  of 
  

   I 
  lie 
  two 
  arms 
  and 
  placing 
  Aveights 
  at 
  the 
  upper 
  ends 
  of 
  the 
  latter, 
  the 
  

   tongs 
  being 
  lowered 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  the 
  middle 
  line 
  and 
  kejit 
  open 
  by 
  the 
  

   weights 
  mentioned. 
  

  

  The 
  great 
  simplicity 
  of 
  this 
  apparatus 
  is 
  an 
  argument 
  in 
  favor 
  of 
  its 
  

   use 
  in 
  the 
  oyster 
  fishery 
  and 
  suggests 
  its 
  employment 
  in 
  the 
  sponge 
  

   fishery. 
  It 
  is 
  open 
  to 
  the 
  objection 
  of 
  being 
  somewhat 
  heavier 
  than 
  the 
  

   (trdinary 
  oyster 
  tongs 
  and 
  in 
  deep 
  water 
  requires 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  a 
  small 
  

   windlass 
  attached 
  to 
  the 
  mast 
  or 
  elsewhere 
  on 
  the 
  boat, 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  

   which 
  it 
  can 
  be 
  raised 
  and 
  lowered. 
  The 
  cost 
  complete 
  is 
  about 
  $15. 
  

   If 
  the 
  principle 
  embodied 
  in 
  this 
  apparatus 
  is 
  found 
  to 
  be 
  adapted 
  to 
  

   the 
  sponge 
  fishery, 
  a 
  modification 
  in 
  the 
  line 
  of 
  lightness 
  and 
  cheap- 
  

   ness 
  could 
  doubtless 
  be 
  made. 
  The 
  number 
  of 
  teeth 
  and 
  the 
  carrying 
  

   capacity 
  of 
  the 
  tongs 
  required 
  in 
  the 
  oyster 
  fishery 
  might 
  be 
  reduced 
  

   and 
  the 
  apparatus 
  made 
  to 
  consist 
  practically 
  of 
  two 
  opposing 
  hooks, 
  

   such 
  as 
  are 
  now 
  used 
  in 
  the 
  sponge 
  fishery. 
  

  

  The 
  sponge- 
  [jrotiiids 
  mid 
  their 
  condition. 
  — 
  The 
  principal 
  grounds 
  re- 
  

   sorted 
  to 
  by 
  the 
  larger 
  sponge 
  vessels 
  are 
  known 
  as 
  the 
  " 
  bay 
  grounds," 
  

   and 
  are 
  located 
  off' 
  the 
  west 
  coast 
  of 
  Florida, 
  between 
  Anclote 
  Keys 
  

   and 
  Apalachee 
  Bay. 
  The 
  region 
  around 
  Anclote 
  Keys 
  is 
  known 
  as 
  the 
  

   "Anclote 
  grounds," 
  north 
  of 
  which 
  are 
  the 
  " 
  Rock 
  Island 
  grounds." 
  

   The 
  small 
  vessels 
  usually 
  frequent 
  the 
  waters 
  around 
  the 
  keys, 
  between 
  

   Key 
  West 
  and 
  Cajte 
  Florida. 
  

  

  The 
  chief 
  feature 
  regarding 
  the 
  sponge-grounds 
  to 
  be 
  noted 
  at 
  this 
  

   time 
  is 
  the 
  continued 
  extension 
  of 
  operations 
  into 
  deeper 
  water 
  conse- 
  

   quent 
  on 
  the 
  depletion 
  of 
  the 
  more 
  shallow^ 
  grounds. 
  In 
  the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  

   Anclote 
  Keys 
  the 
  grounds 
  in 
  10 
  to 
  12 
  feet 
  of 
  water 
  were 
  exhausted 
  

   before 
  tlie 
  civil 
  war, 
  but 
  during 
  the 
  war 
  the 
  sponge 
  beds 
  had 
  a 
  cliance 
  

   to 
  recuperate 
  and 
  later 
  afforded 
  some 
  good 
  fishing. 
  They 
  were 
  very 
  

   soon 
  depleted, 
  however, 
  and 
  have 
  not 
  since 
  borne 
  sponges 
  in 
  any 
  note- 
  

   worthy 
  quantities. 
  This 
  is 
  the 
  general 
  history 
  of 
  the 
  "bay 
  grounds." 
  

   Deeper 
  and 
  deeper 
  bottom 
  has 
  to 
  be 
  resorted 
  to 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  make 
  the 
  

   fishery 
  profitable, 
  until 
  now 
  some 
  fishing 
  is 
  done 
  in 
  water 
  as 
  deep 
  as 
  45 
  

   feet, 
  which 
  seems 
  to 
  be 
  about 
  the 
  maximum 
  depth 
  in 
  which 
  it 
  will 
  be 
  

   possible 
  to 
  employ 
  the 
  present 
  methods. 
  The 
  usual 
  depth 
  at 
  which 
  

   sheepswool 
  sponges 
  are 
  now 
  taken 
  is 
  about 
  30 
  feet. 
  

  

  Occasionally 
  good 
  fares 
  are 
  taken 
  on 
  the 
  inshore 
  and 
  key 
  grounds. 
  

   The 
  latter, 
  in 
  depths 
  of 
  10 
  to 
  20 
  feet, 
  seem 
  to 
  recuperate 
  more 
  rapidly 
  

   than 
  the 
  bay 
  grounds 
  and 
  produce 
  excellent 
  crops 
  some 
  seasons, 
  but 
  

   they 
  have 
  in 
  general 
  shown 
  the 
  same 
  depletion 
  as 
  the 
  other 
  grounds, 
  

   and 
  the 
  spongers 
  have 
  to 
  work 
  over 
  a 
  larger 
  area 
  and 
  more 
  assiduously 
  

   than 
  was 
  necessary 
  a 
  few 
  years 
  ago. 
  

  

  