﻿256 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FtSH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  [40] 
  

  

  feet 
  below, 
  where 
  it 
  unerringly 
  fastens 
  on 
  to 
  the 
  sponge, 
  which 
  is 
  quickly 
  

   torn 
  from 
  its 
  ocean 
  bed 
  and 
  brought 
  to 
  the 
  surface, 
  when 
  the 
  man 
  at 
  

   the 
  oar 
  reaches 
  over, 
  detaches 
  it 
  from, 
  the 
  hook 
  and 
  throws 
  it 
  in 
  the 
  

   boat's 
  bottom. 
  

  

  The 
  dexterity 
  with 
  which 
  one 
  of 
  these 
  fishermen 
  will 
  manage 
  the 
  

   long 
  unwieldly 
  sponge-hook, 
  and 
  grapple 
  the 
  objects 
  which 
  he 
  seeks 
  so 
  

   many 
  feet 
  below 
  the 
  water's 
  surface 
  is 
  said 
  to 
  be 
  very 
  remarkable. 
  

   Fishing 
  goes 
  on 
  all 
  day, 
  if 
  the 
  weather 
  is 
  suitable, 
  with 
  the 
  exception 
  

   of 
  the 
  time 
  spent 
  at 
  dinner. 
  About 
  noon 
  and 
  at 
  evening 
  the 
  boats 
  re- 
  

   turn 
  to 
  the 
  vessel, 
  when 
  the 
  meu 
  eat 
  their 
  meals 
  and 
  spread 
  their 
  

   catches 
  on 
  the 
  deck, 
  where 
  the 
  sponges 
  are 
  put 
  to 
  die 
  and 
  to 
  allow 
  them 
  

   to 
  drain 
  off 
  the 
  slime 
  which 
  runs 
  freely 
  from 
  them. 
  

  

  While 
  the 
  crew 
  is 
  engaged 
  in 
  fishing 
  the 
  cook 
  takes 
  charge 
  of 
  the 
  

   vessel, 
  which 
  is 
  kept 
  under 
  sail, 
  and 
  allowed 
  to 
  jog 
  back 
  and 
  forth 
  

   over 
  the 
  ground. 
  He 
  also 
  prepares 
  the 
  meals, 
  and 
  when 
  the 
  proper 
  

   time 
  arrives 
  steers 
  the 
  vessel 
  alongside 
  of 
  the 
  boats 
  to 
  pick 
  them 
  up. 
  

  

  The 
  time 
  of 
  closing 
  the 
  week's 
  work 
  is 
  varied 
  somewhat 
  by 
  the 
  condi- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  the 
  weather. 
  If 
  bad 
  weather 
  prevails 
  it 
  may 
  close 
  any 
  day, 
  since 
  

   the 
  vessels 
  cannot 
  work 
  ; 
  but, 
  ordinarily, 
  if 
  the 
  weather 
  is 
  fine, 
  the 
  ves- 
  

   sels 
  stand 
  inshore 
  on 
  Saturday 
  night, 
  and 
  anchor 
  in 
  localities 
  where 
  

   they 
  each 
  have 
  one 
  or 
  more 
  so-called 
  " 
  crawls" 
  — 
  inclosures 
  for 
  soaking 
  

   and 
  cleaning 
  their 
  catch, 
  each 
  8 
  or 
  10 
  feet 
  square, 
  and 
  situated 
  in 
  2 
  or 
  

   3 
  feet 
  of 
  water. 
  The 
  week's 
  catch 
  is 
  landed 
  and 
  deposited 
  in 
  the 
  crawls 
  

   to 
  soak; 
  the 
  time 
  of 
  doing 
  this 
  being 
  Monday, 
  if 
  the 
  vessel 
  comes 
  in 
  

   Saturday 
  night 
  ; 
  but 
  if 
  she 
  arrives 
  on 
  Friday 
  night 
  then 
  the 
  catch 
  is 
  

   landed 
  on 
  Saturday. 
  The 
  landing 
  having 
  been 
  made, 
  the 
  previous 
  

   week's 
  product 
  is 
  subjected 
  to 
  the 
  cleaning 
  process, 
  the 
  sponges 
  being 
  

   beaten 
  with 
  the 
  "bruiser" 
  and 
  squeezed 
  by 
  hand 
  to 
  lemove 
  any 
  dirt, 
  

   sand, 
  or 
  other 
  extraneous 
  substances 
  that 
  they 
  may 
  contain. 
  They 
  are 
  

   then 
  strung 
  on 
  rope 
  yarns 
  and 
  hung 
  about 
  the 
  vessel's 
  rigging 
  to 
  dry. 
  

   When 
  sufficiently 
  dried 
  they 
  are 
  landed 
  again, 
  and 
  spread 
  on 
  the 
  shore, 
  

   and 
  a 
  man 
  is 
  detailed 
  whose 
  duty 
  it 
  is 
  to 
  watch 
  all 
  the 
  sponges 
  under 
  

   his 
  charge, 
  both 
  in 
  the 
  crawls 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  beach 
  ; 
  this 
  precaution 
  being 
  

   necessary 
  to 
  prevent 
  the 
  depredations 
  of 
  thieves, 
  who, 
  if 
  the 
  property 
  

   was 
  left 
  unprotected, 
  might 
  swoop 
  down 
  on 
  a 
  station 
  during 
  the 
  absence 
  

   of 
  the 
  vessels, 
  and 
  carry 
  off 
  the 
  catch 
  of 
  a 
  whole 
  trip. 
  When 
  the 
  vessel 
  

   is 
  ready 
  to 
  return 
  to 
  Key 
  West 
  all 
  her 
  sponges 
  are 
  taken 
  on 
  board 
  and 
  

   stowed 
  in 
  the 
  hold. 
  

  

  The 
  method 
  of 
  fishing 
  adopted 
  by 
  many 
  of 
  the 
  men 
  who 
  go 
  on 
  the 
  

   small 
  sail 
  boats, 
  those 
  from 
  IS 
  feet 
  long 
  to 
  5 
  or 
  6 
  tons, 
  differs 
  some- 
  

   times 
  from 
  that 
  which 
  has 
  been 
  described. 
  The 
  crews 
  on 
  these 
  boats 
  

   are 
  always 
  few 
  in 
  number, 
  and, 
  of 
  course, 
  if 
  one 
  man 
  should 
  stay 
  on 
  

   board 
  to 
  look 
  out 
  for 
  the 
  vessel 
  it 
  would 
  make 
  a 
  material 
  difference 
  in 
  

   the 
  working 
  power 
  of 
  the 
  crew. 
  The 
  boats 
  are, 
  therefore, 
  anchored, 
  and 
  

   all 
  of 
  the 
  crew 
  go 
  out 
  to 
  fish. 
  On 
  special 
  occasions, 
  as 
  has 
  been 
  pre- 
  

   viously 
  mentioned, 
  when 
  the 
  work 
  is 
  being 
  done 
  in 
  shallow 
  water, 
  and 
  

  

  