The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-12-29
The Sponge Fishery.
HOW If is CONDUCTED. Oh

2 ~ f-4t4 HOW IT Is CONDUCTED.
A volume of "Travels and Researches in
Cretc,o by Captain Spratt, Of the British ma
w, Just published in London, contains an in
teresting account of the sponge trade on the
east coast of the island. There are few trades
that require more courage and careful train
ing than that of the spongeg atherer. Thirty
fathoms deep lies the object of his search, and
only by the assistance of a great weight can
he descend SO far When down, the water
presses on him at the rate of seventy five
pounds to the square inch, and with that
great weight upon him he must keep his res
piration suspended or die. The whole mode
of operation isso curious that we copy the de-
scription of it,, 10 ...a,as g5siss57
"The mode of operation preparatory to a
dive IS very peculiar and interesting; the
sketch in some degree represents this Also
b The diver whose turn it is takes his seat on
the deck of the vessel, at either the bow or
stern, and, placing by his side large fiat slab
OF marble weighing about twenty-five pounds,
to which is attached rope Of the proper
length and thickness one and one-half inch).
he then strips and is left by his companions to
prepare himself This seems to consist in de-
voting certain time to clearing the passage
OF his lungs by expectoration, and highly in
Hating them afterwards, thus oxidizing his
blood very highly by a repetition of deep in
SEPARATIONS. The operation lasts from five to
s1 5..:S - y. .oI Z, 49, ~. W t1e ueptn
iii, ~, hs ~ re ~ lever teIiered
is ,o,s, ~ =; anu SPEAKS or
+bei,, hr,t ~. i;.tS - 'ipy wa'oneu TWO Oh
yant,,r Dt ~ ,'rno ;r, anu tney never
way during the process. II efefer.tss
1917, ~ s .s' - spscta.or AZ inc DIVER were
so ;.4ot!s q, SUI u, VI mysterious ceremony
t iaoan1a.ion. Whee' rom some sensation
innn'd.o Uny ~ hi.l.set aI!er Inese repeated
az s;.4;.s mn auu neasy lnspifa1ohs, ne deems
~ siol g. r .nsin ~ nave TIlVea, ne SEXES
snd , ,,ttor;,, anu aiIer crossing nmsef
.alr -, = ~, PSeS WIN ~ IKE
Ie.uLinng uoipnm lneo Ine sea ana rapidly dos
Illus. 5;.e sso.o - Always heiu curing the
to..1.iS ~ LII VI tn1 neao, at arm
anu ~ a. W oier a. !tue resistance as
pE S.a anu w valy us Hclnaton, IL acts
a 49,. o =. e. ule ae.GehC 10
w. a. uesu . py tne NV
,ooos H. Sto.s ., ne tn9 o1Icoii, ne
down and then ,vas aho,a. , " A ~ nnSen
orc Nc ,,ndar ;4s sne locA, or
int" nattod h ,ss ied ;t S.ulng tne spohgGs
is strnno ro,,na bis III, ~ ,oa WHICH
he hnids ,,s ~ ieeelVe thelI put
ILL os IL tsf Sn1 s'oiie vi rope an Inc
noL;n% a. LIZ ua a; d9r recurring ana ior
si.as - 'NS Ai no"n siSna' st Tile tiine ne de-
-aNaSr -. ,,,o.,.o
co,, nav ~ 4D.pe tns p.oceeomgs OF ms
or t;rtv fathnnaS 0 oSas noasans some twenty
who ,ysye 'a nnarnst a ~ H;, nn. Inc TWO men
maS;no n dTo hrt ,,1 LII plesiousiy W ms
10 rlacs tbo,osoi,, ouS VIZ sssSematlcay seem
vim the idoo ofha 81 ~ p.sssn1 hlin from
ed nv them wb;Ist undarao;,is al maen-
tim snr;ny 70 the;r eaot- 1920 ~ Piepaia-
pears and ,1,sb IN tbe ss,i 40 ne .usa
then hollis in b;s bard $500. asn one VI tneh
enlng if as tbe diver movas sho uts or snort-
bottom: and a. soon a. the s; IuoI' upon tne
of his wish to retI,rn ;s fat tya1 no,a,nance
HAULING IN the rome with gr .' enerar md
earne ,fness and in way calculated To sns ,r
the greatest expedition of ascent since the
overstay of a few seconds NAV be noin, Of
life or death to the diver. f' Vi
=, 3The hauling up IS thus effected Tho &c.
sistant who has hold of the rome aw.;tn m' , d
signal first reaches down with both ba,,1s 'o as
low as he cln. and there @rasninc tho ron a'
with great bodily effort raises II nS W toe ,upe,
CQO01ld -,