20 



THE SPONGE FISHERY OF THE OTTOMAN ARCHIPELAGO. 



The following are the market prices, and the values, in round numbers, of 

 the sponges sold during five years : — 





Prices per Oke of 2flb. 



Value of each quality 



sold. 



Fine. 



Com n. 



Coarse. 



Pine. 



Common. 



Coarse. 



Total. 



Piastres 



Piastres 



Piastres 



£ 



£ 



£ 



£ 



1854 



200 



40 



28 



30,000 



20,000 



4,000 



54,000 



1855 



220 



40 



40 



33,000 



22,000 



5,000 



60,000 



1856 



300 



60 



35 



35,000 



25,500 



4,500 



65,000 



1857 



300 



65 



35 



51,000 



25,000 



5,000 



81,000 



1858 



325 



100 



30 



35,000 



50,000 



5,000 



90,000 



Of the sponges purchased in these islands, about two-thirds of the fine, 

 one quarter of the common, and one quarter of the coarse (all of the first 

 qualities), are sent to London; half of the best common quality to France 

 (none of the other qualities are imported to that country) ; one-eighth of 

 the fine, and one-eighth of the common, and many of the coarse (all second 

 quality), to Trieste. The refuse of the fine, common, and coarse sponges 

 are sent to Constantinople. Lately, a few good fine sponges have been 

 sent to the United States of America. 



The prices of the fine sponges were from twenty-five to thirty per cent., 

 and those of the common thirty to thirty-five per cent, dearer in 1858 than in 

 former years. This increase was owing to the competition of the many 

 European sponge merchants, who had come there latterly, in person, to 

 make their purchases.* 2,745 cases and sacks of sponge, valued at 4,105,600 

 piastres were shipped from Smyrna in 1857. 



The fisheries of the Gulf of Volo (Thessaly) form a source of local wealth. 

 Sponges of the best quality are annually taken to the value of £2,000. 



The following figures from the official returns show the total quantities 

 and value of Turkey sponge imported during six years. It is received 

 principally through the four channels of France, Greece, Turkey Proper, 

 and Austrian Italy, and sometimes from Malta and Egypt. We shall take 

 another opportunity to speak of the more common Bahamas and American 

 sponge. It may be added that the average computed or official value is 

 no fair criterion of price. There has, however, been a steady advance in 

 price of late years. In 1854 the computed or official value was 6s. 3d. per 

 pound ; in 1858, lis. 3d. ; but the selling price of the best is 21s. per lb. 

 Imports of Sponge into the United Kingdom : — 

 Quantity, lbs. Value. £ 



1853 205,924 



1854 224,787 70,246 



1855 329,985 140,164 



1856 313,287 172,308 



1857 318,676 164,650 



1858 287,681 157,751 P. L. S. 



* Report of Mr. Campbell, British Consul at Rhodes. 



