70 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA. 



midal form, and is pierced at the smaller end ty 

 a hole, through which a rope passes which fastens 

 it to the boat. When he dives, each man is pro- 

 vided with a bag or net to put the oysters in, 

 and this he grasps Avith the toes of his left foot, 

 seizing the rope which is fastened, to the stone with 

 those of his right foot ; then seizing the signal rope 

 in his right hand, and stopping up his nostrils with 

 his left, he plunges in, either straight or crouching 

 on his heels. 



As soon as he gets to the bottom he hangs the 

 net around his neck and fills it with oysters as 

 fast as he can, and when that is done, he gives a 

 signal by the rope to his comrades on board, and is 

 pulled up speedily with his burden. 



This work is so hard that, on regaining the boat, 

 the divers will often emit from the mouth, nose, and 

 ears water stained with blood; and nevertheless, 

 when the weather is favourable, they will repeat the 

 operation fifteen or twenty times ; if the weather 

 be unfavourable they cannot do so more than three 

 or four times. At the greatest depths (that is to 

 say, about fifteen yards) the most skilful divers 

 cannot remain below for more than thirty seconds. 

 The American divers, like those of the Indian Ocean, 

 never live to be old men. Their bodies become 

 covered with sores, through the internal rupture of 

 blood-vessels ; their sight fails them, and they are 

 very subject to apoplexy. 



