1^:^ ISLES OF SfilMEft. 



Aside from its many curious forms, some of whicli are beauti- 

 ful, the sponge when first taken from the water has a very 

 unpromising appearance, and its odor is offensive. The sponge 

 of commerce is merely its skeleton or framework. This is sur- 

 rounded by a glairy, gelatinous substance, which formerly was 

 remoYcd by burying the sponges in the sand for a few days, and 

 afterwards whipping them with sticks. But now they are kept 

 ui^on deck for two or three days, when they lose their vital- 

 ity ; afterwards they are placed in a crawl and kept there from 

 eight to ten days; then they are cleansed and bleached in 

 the sun and air upon the beach. Afterwards, upon their ar- 

 rival in Nassau, the roots are cut off, and they are trimmed 

 and packed for exportation. Some of those offered for sale in 

 the hotel court were doubtless bleached with chemicals. The 

 result in such cases is that the strength of the fibre is impaired. 

 The sponges grow sometimes in forms so singular and unirpie 

 that they command from strangers a good price as curiosities. 



We were shown at Judge VanA^olkenberg's house in Florida, 

 what seemed to be a package two or three feet in length, of beau- 

 tiful small glass threads, and were very greatly surprised to learn 

 that it was a species of Japanese sponge. It was obtained in 

 Japan when the Judge filled the office of United States minister 

 to Japan. 



We also saw in the little embryo museum which is connected 

 with the Nassau public library, a delicate foreign sponge, packed 

 in cotton wool, which closely resembled handsome thread lace. 



In a recent official report of the Governor of the Bahamas, he 

 states that it has been discovered in Germany that the sponge 

 may be propagated by cuttings from living specimens, which, 

 when fastened to pieces of board, ave placed in the sea. Skilful 

 cultivation may hereafter result in the production of the more 

 valuable sponges in many parts of the ocean world where they 

 are not at present found. 



