1 86 The Commercial Products of the Sea. 



As there are seven men to each boat, the number of men 

 engaged is about 4200. 



The sponge fishing grounds are on the coast of Candia, 

 Syria, and Barbary. The average depth at which sponges 

 are found is 30 fathoms ; those of an inferior quality are 

 found at lesser depths. The sponge fishing-boats in the 

 island, of Calmynos amount to nearly 260, employing 1600 

 men and boys. These boats, called " scafi," are on an average 

 six tons each, carrying from six to seven, and sometimes 

 eight men, of whom two are rowers. 



The proceeds from the sponge obtained are divided into 

 shares, the divers receiving a whole share, and the rowers 

 two-thirds of a share. A good diver will make from eight 

 to ten dives during the day. 



The sponge is covered with a thin, tough, black cuticle, 

 inside of which there is a white liquid like milk, and of the 

 same consistence. The sponge in this state presents a very 

 different appearance to what it does when freed from these 

 extraneous substances. The annual value of the sponges 

 taken by the Calymniotes amounts to about £2^CX). The 

 finest are sent to Great Britain ; the common and coarser to 

 France, Austria, and Constantinople. 



The sponge fishery of Turkey has made a great advance 

 by the introduction of diving apparatus. The quality fished 

 in the Sea of Marmora is of second-rate quality, and is 

 shipped to England, and a part to Trieste and Germany. 



The following shows the value in round numbers of the 

 sponges sold at Rhodes in 1861 : — Fine, ;^4i,ooo ; common, 

 ;£'63,ooo ; coarse, £'jC)00; total, ;£■! 11,000. Part of the 

 sponges fished, in the autumn of 1,860 were sold in the 

 early part of 1861, at 450 piastres per oke for fine, 120 for 

 common, and 60 for coarse, which are the highest ever 

 reached for the fine and coarse qualities. Towards the 



