70 THE OCEAN WORLD. 
“scula,” 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 aération 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 180, 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 harpoons, 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 renowned. 
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 effected without any conservative foresight. At the 
