1 84 The Commercial Products of the Sea. 



at which sponges have been sold during the last few years, 

 and which have prevented divers from paying their debts to 

 the native money-lenders, the latter, although in possession 

 of bills for important sums of money, have not a sufficiency 

 of cash to equip all the boats suitable for the sponge 

 fishery. Notwithstanding the adverse circumstances, the 

 quantity of sponges obtained of late has exceeded that of 

 former years, in consequence of the more abundant crops 

 and improved diving apparatus. At the island of Halki, 

 for instance, where 10 years ago the produce in sponges 

 was hardly ;^io,ooo a year, it amounts now, with the same 

 number of boats, but working with diving apparatus, to 

 nearly ;^20,ooo, thus showing a very important- augmenta- 

 tion. It is mentioned, however, that the produce in sponges 

 seems more than sufficient for the demand ; and if all the 

 available boats in these islands could procure the required 

 money to enable them to go fishing, the extra quantities of 

 sponges which would then encumber the markets would 

 lower the price of the article to rates which would prove 

 ruinous to the divers. 



The average market prices of sponges for the year 1872 

 are shown per oke (equal to 2 J lbs.) in the subjoined table: — 



Bengazi and Mandruha sponges are not sold by weight, 



