358 
THE  SPONGE  FISHERY  OF  THE  BAHAMAS. 
£8000."  The  value  of  the  sponge  exported  from  the  Bahamas 
in  1852  was  about  ^£12,000. 
The  sponge  trade  of  the  Bahamas  is  in  a  very  flourishing  con- 
dition. The  total  value  exported  in  1849  was  but  £2,217  ;  in 
1850,  X5,700  ;  in  1851,  £14,000  ;  in  1852,  £11,257.  In  later 
years  the  quantity  of  sponge  exported  from  the  Bahamas  has 
been  : — 
Cwts.  Value. 
1855    2399   £9,615 
1856    1800    6,723 
1857    2657   11,025 
1858    3357   17,258 
A  great  deal  of  this  goes  to  the  United  States. 
The  Andres  Islands  and  the  Cays  are  the  great  sponging  dis- 
tricts. The  sponge  is  usually  found  in  o^rassy  and  rocky  patches 
near  the  shores  of  this  group.  Crawls  for  cleaning  these  may 
be  seen  from  Joulters  to  Jonas  Cays,  constructed  with  stakes 
about  two  inches  thick,  into  the  mud,  and  forming  a  square  of 
twelve  feet,  sufficiently  high  to  prevent  the  sponge  washing  out. 
In  these  the  sponge  is  soaked  and  washed  frequently,  after  hav- 
ing been  buried  in  sand  about  a  week  or  ten  days,  when  it  loses 
the  black  animal  matter,  which  has  an  offensive  smell.  When 
first  gathered,  the  pieces  are  wrenched  from  the  rocks  with  a 
strong  two-pronged  fork  fixed  to  a  long  pole.  The  sponges  are 
of  four  kinds — yellow,  glove,  velvet,  and  mop.  The  first  is  the 
most  valuable  kind,  selling  at  about  Is.  the  lb. ;  the  second  at 
9d.  ;  the  velvet  is  the  toughest,  and  much  used  in  stables  for  its 
softness  ;  the  last  kind  is  very  inferior,  and  only  used  for  mops. 
At  the  foregoing  prices  it  scarcely  repays  the  outfit,  but  Is. 
Sd.  a  pound  about  remunerates  the  fishermen. 
The  imports  of  sponge  from  the  Bahamas  and  United  States 
during  the  past  seven  years  have  been  as  follows,  in  pounds  : 
Bahamas.  United  States. 
1853    91,736    23,774 
1854    115,213    33,159 
1855    120,013    14,936 
1856    79,893    3,271 
1857    167,051   ,  ~ 
1858    226,094   7,693 
1859    207,450   7,234 
Lon.  Pliarm,  Journ.  May^  1861,  from  The  Technologist. 
