74 CLASS CONCHIFERA. 



basket, formed of a wooden hoop and net-'.vork, suspended 

 by a rope, is thrown into the water to him, and in it he 

 places his other foot. Both the ropes of the stone and 

 the basket he holds for a httle while in one hand. 

 When he feels himself properly prepared and ready to 

 go down, he grasps his nostrils with one hand, to prevent 

 the water from rushing in ; with the other gives a sudden 

 pull to the running-knot suspending the stone, and in- 

 stantly descends: the remainder of the rope fixed to the 

 basket is thrown into the water after him, at the same 

 moment : the rope attached to the stone is in such a 

 position as to follow^ him of itself. As soon as he touches 

 the bottom, he disentangles his foot from the stone, which 

 is immediately drawn up, and suspended again to the 

 projecting oar in the same manner as before, to be in 

 readiness for the next diver. The diver, arrived at the 

 bottom of the sea, throws himself as much as possible 

 upon his face, and collects everything he can get hold of 

 into the basket. When he is ready to ascend, he gives 

 a jerk to the rope, and the persons in the boat, who hold 

 the other end of it, haul it up as speedily as possible. 

 The diver, at the same time, free of every incumbrance, 

 warps up by the rope, and always gets above water a 

 considerable time before the basket. He generally 

 comes up at a distance from the boat, and swims about, 

 or takes hold of an oar or a rope, until his turn comes to 

 descend again ; but he seldom comes into the boat, until 

 the labour of the day is over. When a young diver is 

 training to the business, he descends in the arms of a 

 man completely experienced in the art, who takes great 

 care of him, and shows hira the manner of proceeding, 

 and the pupil at first brings up in his hand a single 

 oyster, a stone, or a little sand, merely to show that he 



