HOW SPONGES ARE PROCURED 



too, it is hauled up, two or four bridles connecting the 

 tow-line with the frame. As the sponges are taken out, 

 they are squeezed dry and thrown in the hold, and the 

 dredge is dropped overboard again. 



It will easily be understood that such an awkward 

 method of working would not be much favoured by fisher- 

 men who are lucky enough to find sponge in moderately 

 shallow water. For those who object to the dredge and 

 who do not care to dive, there is still the harpoon ; and 

 this is the favourite tackle with many of the Greek fisher- 

 men on both sides of the Mediterranean (for the sponge 

 trade of North Africa is mainly in Greek hands). 



The large sailing vessels thus engaged take with them 

 several small boats from which the harpooning is done; 

 two or three men to a boat. The harpoon is simply a 

 fork with a very long handle, to which an additional 

 handle can, if necessary, be screwed. Each boat carries 

 the spy-glass of which mention has already been made 

 a very crude yet satisfactory means of seeing to the 

 bottom and discovering the lie of the ground. It is 

 sometimes unkindly described as a bucket with a glass 

 bottom, and indeed it is not much else, being a zinc 

 cylinder about eighteen inches high and big enough to 

 admit a man's head ; with a circular sheet of glass let in 

 to the bottom of it. When such an instrument is pushed 

 a foot or so below the surface a man can see through as 

 much as thirty fathoms of moderately clear water. 



As soon as the sponge is sighted, the digging and 

 poking and stabbing begin, and it is surprising what very 

 large catches skilled men can make in this manner. 



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