THE  SPONGE  FISHERY  OF  THE  OTTOMAN  ARCHIPELAGO.  31 
They  send  out  annually  sixty  boats  to  it,  manned  with  450 
divers.  The  export  of  sponges  is  calculated  to  reach  about 
^8000  annually.  They  pay  an  export  duty  of  one  per  cent. 
The  Tiliotes,  (island  of  Piskopi,)  who  only  began  a  few  years 
ago  to  fish  for  sponges,  have  already  four  boats  for  the  purpose, 
with  thirty  divers.  From  the  active,  enterprising  character  of 
these  people,  there  is  no  doubt  that  this  branch  of  commerce 
will  increase. 
About  9000  okes  of  fine  sponges  are  annually  exported  to 
Oreat  Britain  from  the  different  islands.  The  sponges  are  of 
three  qualities,— -viz.,  fine,  common  and  coarse.  In  the  fine 
sponges  there  is  but  one  in  ten  of  the  first  or  superior  quality  ; 
the  rest  are  of  a  second  or  inferior  fine  quality.  In  the  common 
sponges  there  is  one  in  four  of  a  first  quality ;  the  rest  are  of  a 
second  common  quality.  In  the  coarse,  one-half  are  of  a  first 
quality,  and  the  other  half  of  a  second  coarse  quality.  Thus 
it  will  be  seen  that  the  fine,  common  and  coarse  kinds  of  sponges 
may  be  divided  into  two  qualities  each.  Formerly  the  divers 
used  to  sell  their  sponges  by  weight,  to  increase  which  they  put 
sand  in  them,  a  practice  which  they  still  continue,  though  now 
sold  by  quantity. 
The  following  are  the  market  prices,  and  the  value,  in  round 
numbers,  of  the  sponges  sold  during  five  years : — 
Prices  per  Oke  of  2|s  lb. 
Value  ot  each  quality  sold. 
Fine. 
Common. 
Coarse. 
Fine. 
Common. 
Coarse. 
Total. 
Piastres. 
Piastres. 
Piastres. 
£ 
£ 
£ 
£ 
1854 
200 
40 
28 
30,000 
20,000 
4000 
54,000 
1855 
220 
40 
40 
33,000 
22,000 
5000 
60,000 
1856 
300 
60 
35 
35.000 
25,500 
4500 
65,000 
1857 
300 
65 
35 
51,000 
25,000 
5000 
81,000 
1858 
325 
100 
30 
35,000 
50,000 
5000 
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- 
eight  of  the  common,  and  many  of  the  coarse  (all  second  quali- 
ty), to  Trieste.    The  refuse  of  the  fine,  common,  and  coarse 
