70 THE OCEAN WORLD. 



" oscula," and the smaller distinguished as "pores." In the living 

 state of the sponge water is being constantly absorbed by the 

 latter, while currents of water will be seen issuing out from the former, 

 thus serving to convey minute particles of food, as well as contributing 

 to the general aeration of the entire mass. It is also worthy of note 

 that sponges possess in a marked degree reparative powers. 



At the present time sponge-fishing takes place principally in the 

 Grecian Archipelago and the Syrian littoral. The Greeks and Syrians 

 sell the product of their fishing to the Western nations, and the trade 

 has been immensely extended in recent times, the sponge having 

 become an almost necessary adjunct of the toilet as well as the stable. 



Fishing usually commences towards the beginning of June on the 

 coast of Syria, and finishes at the end of October. But the months 

 of July and August are peculiarly favourable to the sponge harvest, 

 if we may use the term. Latakia furnishes about ten boats to the 

 fishery, Batroun twenty, Tripoli twenty-five to thirty, Kalki fifty, 

 Simi about 170 to i8o, and Kalminos more than 200. 



The operations of one of these boats fishing for sponges on the 

 Syrian coast is represented in Plate I. The boat's crew consists 

 of four or five men, who scatter themselves along the coast for two 

 or three miles in search of sponges under the cliffs and ledges of 

 rock. Sponges of inferior quality are gathered in shallow waters. 

 The finer kinds are found only at a depth of from twenty to thirty 

 fathoms. The first are fished for with three-toothed harpoens, by 

 the aid of which they are torn from their native rock ; but not without 

 deteriorating them more or less. The finer kinds of sponges, on the 

 other hand, are collected by divers ; aided by a knife, they are care- 

 fully detached. Thus, the price of a sponge brought up by diving is 

 much more considerable than that of a harpooned sponge. Among 

 divers, those of Kalminos and of Psara are particularly renoA\Tied. 

 They will descend to the depth of twenty-five fathoms, remain down 

 a shorter time than the Syrian divers, and yet bring up a more 

 abundant harvest. The fishing of the Archipelago furnishes few 

 fine sponges to commerce, but a great quantity of very common 

 ones. The Syrian fisheries furnish many of the finer kinds, which 

 find a ready market in France ; they are of medium size. On 

 the other hand, those which are furnished from the Barbary coast 

 are of great dimensions, of a very fine tissue, and much sought 

 for in England. 



Sponge-fishing is carried on at various other stations in the 

 Mediterranean, but without any intelligent direction, and in conse- 

 sequence it is eff'ected without any conservative foresight. At tlie 



