THE  SPONGE  FISHERY  OF  THE  OTTOMAN  ARCHIPELAGO.  29 
The  island  of  Calymnos  is  the  chief  of  the  sponge-fishing 
islands  in  the  Ottoman  Archipelago.  The  sponge-fishing  grounds 
are  on  the  coasts  of  Candia,  Syria,  and  Barbary.  The  average 
depth  at  which  sponges  are  found  is  thirty  fathoms ;  those  of  an 
inferior  quality  are  found  at  lesser  depths.  The  sponge-fishing 
boats  in  the  island  of  Calymnos  amount  to  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  of  the  sponge  are  divided  into  shares,  the  divers 
receiving  a  whole  share,  and  the  rowers  two-thirds  of  a  share. 
The  diver,  who  goes  head-foremost  into  the  water,  takes  with 
him  a  triangular-shaped  stone,  to  which  a  strong  line  is  tied  to 
a  hole  in  one  of  its  corners,  to  assist  him  in  his  descent,  and  to 
direct  him,  like  a  rudder,  to  any  particular  spot. 
On  reaching  the  bottom,  he  tears  ofi"  a  number  of  sponges 
from  the  rock,  gives  a  pull  at  the  line,  when  he  and  the  sponges 
in  his  arms  are  drawn  up  by  the  rowers.  A  good  diver  will 
make  from  eight  to  ten  dives  during  the  day. 
The  sponge  is  covered  with  a  thin,  tough,  black  cuticle,  in- 
side of  which  there  is  a  white  liquid  like  milk,  and  of  the  same 
consistence.  The  sponge  in  this  state  presents  a  very  difierent 
appearance  to  what  it  does  when  freed  from  these  extraneous 
substances.  The  annual  value  of  the  sponges  taken  by  the 
Calymniotes  amounts  to  about  c£25,000.  The  finest  are  sent  to 
Great  Britain,  the  common  and  coarser  to  France,  Austria,  and 
Constantinople. 
There  are  nineteen  boats,  employing  120  divers,  engaged  in 
the  fishery  from  Castel  Bosso.  But  the  sponge-fiskery  there  is 
declining,  as  the  natives  find  it  more  profitable  to  engage  them- 
selves as  seamen  in  the  regular  trading  vessels.  The  amount 
derived  from  sponges  is  calculated  at  about  <£2500  a  year,  the 
half  of  what  it  was  a  few  years  ago. 
The  only  article  of  export  from  the  island  of  Astropalia  is 
sponge,  to  the  value  of  about  X1500  a  year.  There  are  twelve 
sponge-fishing  boats,  with  100  divers.  During  the  months  of 
May  to  September,  only  very  old  men,  women  and  children,  are 
to  be  found  on  the  island  of  Symi ;  all  the  able-bodied  part  of 
the  male  population  being  at  this  season  at  the  sponge-fishery. 
