﻿[41] 
  THE 
  GULF 
  FISHING 
  GROUNDS 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  257 
  

  

  the 
  sea 
  is 
  cairn, 
  these 
  boat 
  fishermen 
  go 
  singly 
  in 
  the 
  dinghes, 
  and 
  thus 
  

   increase 
  their 
  chances 
  for 
  securing 
  a 
  good 
  catch. 
  This 
  is 
  called 
  " 
  oft- 
  

   handed 
  sponging." 
  

  

  The 
  larger 
  vessels 
  make 
  trips 
  ranging 
  from 
  six 
  to 
  eight 
  weeks, 
  and, 
  

   in 
  some 
  instances, 
  it 
  was 
  said 
  that 
  they 
  had 
  been 
  absent 
  from 
  Key 
  West 
  

   as 
  long 
  as 
  three 
  months. 
  The 
  smaller 
  craft 
  do 
  not 
  generally 
  stay 
  out 
  

   on 
  their 
  cruises 
  longer 
  than 
  from 
  two 
  to 
  four 
  weeks. 
  

  

  5. 
  DISPOSITION 
  OF 
  THE 
  CATCH. 
  

  

  When 
  the 
  vessels 
  reach 
  port 
  the 
  sponges 
  are 
  discharged 
  on 
  a 
  wharf 
  

   and 
  sorted 
  into 
  piles 
  according 
  to 
  their 
  several 
  grades. 
  This 
  having 
  

   been 
  done 
  the 
  cargo 
  is 
  sold 
  at 
  auction 
  — 
  at 
  least 
  it 
  is 
  called 
  an 
  auction 
  at 
  

   Key 
  West, 
  though 
  the 
  conditions 
  of 
  the 
  sale 
  differ 
  materially 
  from 
  those 
  

   which 
  are 
  generally 
  meant 
  by 
  the 
  term 
  auction, 
  and 
  are 
  substantially 
  as 
  

   follows 
  : 
  The 
  sponges 
  having 
  been 
  arranged 
  in 
  proper 
  order, 
  the 
  dealers 
  

   assemble 
  on 
  the 
  wharf 
  during 
  the 
  forenoon 
  to 
  examine 
  the 
  several 
  lots 
  

   of 
  which 
  the 
  cargo 
  is 
  composed. 
  No 
  person 
  but 
  one 
  known 
  to 
  be 
  an 
  

   agent 
  of 
  a 
  house 
  engaged 
  in 
  the 
  business 
  is 
  allowed 
  to 
  make 
  a 
  bid, 
  and 
  

   even 
  these 
  are 
  not 
  permitted 
  to 
  make 
  more 
  than 
  one 
  proposal 
  for 
  the 
  

   sponges. 
  At 
  3 
  p. 
  m. 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  day 
  on 
  which 
  the 
  examination 
  takes 
  

   place, 
  the 
  bikers 
  again 
  assemble 
  and 
  submit 
  written 
  bids, 
  the 
  sponges, 
  

   of 
  course, 
  being 
  sold 
  to 
  him 
  who 
  makes 
  the 
  highest 
  offer. 
  The 
  sponges 
  

   are 
  not 
  weighed 
  nor 
  counted, 
  but 
  the 
  different 
  grades 
  are 
  bought 
  in 
  a 
  

   lump, 
  the 
  buyers, 
  from 
  long 
  experience, 
  being 
  able 
  to 
  estimate 
  pretty 
  

   closely 
  the 
  amount 
  in 
  any 
  pile 
  of 
  goods. 
  

  

  After 
  the 
  sale, 
  the 
  sponges 
  are 
  loaded 
  on 
  carts 
  and 
  hauled 
  to 
  the 
  

   warehouses, 
  which 
  are 
  generally 
  large 
  and 
  airy, 
  a 
  good 
  circulation 
  of 
  air 
  

   being 
  secured 
  through 
  numerous 
  large 
  open 
  windows 
  on 
  the 
  sides 
  of 
  

   the 
  buildings. 
  These 
  establishments 
  have 
  a 
  large 
  number 
  of 
  bins 
  or 
  

   pens, 
  built 
  along 
  the 
  sides, 
  and 
  into 
  these 
  the 
  sponges 
  are 
  thrown 
  after 
  

   they 
  have 
  been 
  cleaned, 
  bleached, 
  and 
  culled 
  into 
  the 
  various 
  grades 
  

   known 
  to 
  the 
  trade, 
  To 
  prepare 
  them 
  for 
  shipment 
  they 
  are 
  thoroughly 
  

   washed 
  and 
  spread 
  in 
  a 
  large 
  yard 
  to 
  dry 
  or 
  bleach.* 
  After 
  the 
  sponges 
  

   are 
  well 
  dried, 
  the 
  sand 
  is 
  pounded 
  out 
  of 
  them, 
  they 
  are 
  trimmed, 
  

   culled, 
  and 
  packed 
  in 
  bales 
  measuring 
  about 
  18 
  by 
  18 
  by 
  30 
  inches. 
  

   Screws 
  worked 
  by 
  hand 
  or 
  hydraulic 
  power 
  are 
  used 
  to 
  compress 
  the 
  

   sponges, 
  the 
  former 
  method 
  being 
  adopted 
  in 
  the 
  establishment 
  we 
  

   visited. 
  The 
  sponges 
  are 
  shipped 
  to 
  New 
  York, 
  where 
  are 
  several 
  

   houses 
  engaged 
  in 
  the 
  trade, 
  and 
  which 
  control 
  the 
  enl^ire 
  Florida 
  catch. 
  

  

  * 
  Rathbun 
  tells 
  us 
  that 
  "the 
  process 
  of 
  bleaching 
  or 
  liming 
  sponges 
  has 
  been 
  exten- 
  

   sively 
  in 
  vogue 
  at 
  Key 
  West, 
  but 
  is 
  now 
  meeting 
  with 
  much 
  discouragement 
  from 
  the 
  

   trade, 
  for 
  while 
  it 
  renders 
  the 
  sponge 
  much 
  lighter 
  in 
  color, 
  it 
  also 
  partly 
  destroys 
  its 
  

   liber 
  and 
  makes 
  it 
  less 
  tough 
  and 
  durable." 
  I 
  noticed, 
  however, 
  that 
  bleaching 
  in 
  this 
  

   manner 
  is 
  still 
  practiced 
  to 
  a 
  considerable 
  extent, 
  though 
  not, 
  perhaps, 
  as 
  much 
  as 
  

   formerly. 
  

  

  S. 
  Mis. 
  70— 
  -17 
  ' 
  

  

  