[59] WORK OF STEAMER ALBATROSS. 663 



carry 3 or 4 men and do all of their ashing with hand-lines. The 

 hand-line fishing is done with the aid of a water-glass. The water-glasses 

 arc simply a box, painted some dull color, with a pane of plain window- 

 glass set in the bottom. The fisherman holds this box on the surface 

 of the water, and, by looking through the glass, can see the bottom 

 through this clear water perfectly plainly to a depth of 50 or 60 feet. 

 When fishing, the men hunt about till they find a spot where the fish 

 are plenty, then, by watching their lines through the glass, they can 

 tell exactly when to strike the fish. Most of the fishing is done at 

 Abaco and the Berry Islands, the vessels staying out about a week and 

 bringing the catch in alive in their wells. The larger specimens of 

 skip-jack, bone, hound, and amber fish are split and dried in the fore 

 rigging, but the bulk of the catch is peddled out fresh at the market — 

 the demand for fish determining the stay of each vessel in port. A 

 fare will run from $12 to $60, and anything over $40 the fisherman 

 considers good work. After paying the expenses of a cruise, two shares 

 of the profits go to the vessel, one to the seine, one to the captain, and 

 one to each member of the crew. 



Many species of fish from these waters are excellent eating, and 

 few seem to be poisonous. While barracuda, hog, and amber fish are 

 more likely to be poisonous than other species, this property is by no 

 means confined to them. Cases of poisoning, however, are of such rare 

 occurrence that the natives pay little attention to t?he matter, and 

 have no rule as to what can be eaten and what cannot. 



The sponge fishing is another very important industry, the details of 

 which I give from data collected hy Mr. Nye. 



The sponging fleet consists of about 475 vessels and employs not less 

 than 4,000 men, the majority of them negroes. The vessels used are 

 sloops of 15 to 20 feet over all, and schooners running up to 20 tons, 

 though commonly about 36 feet over all. The largest schooners carry 

 12 to 18 men and 6 to 10 boats — one of 12 feet and the others 10 

 feet in length. 



The sloops carry 4 to 7 men and 3 or 4 boats. The small boats are 

 of the smooth, round-bottom class, like the northern smack-boat, but 

 with less sheer. 



The sponging trips last about six weeks, and are made at all seasons 

 except the " hurricane month," October, when the vessels are generally 

 hauled up for repairs. 



When on the sponge ground the vessel anchors in 3, or heaves to 

 in 5, fathoms of water, and the crew put off, two in a boat, at sunrise, 

 and remain till sunset, unless a boat-load is secured before that time. 

 One man handles the boat, generally sculling, while the other gathers 

 the sponges, using a water-glass in one hand and a long pole, rigged 

 with a two or three tined hook, with the other. The men become very 

 expert with this hook, and work to a depth of 5 fathoms, but seldom 

 if ever over that depth. Ten pounds, dry weight, is a first-class catch 

 for one boat in a day. The fresh sponges are left on deck until the 



