The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1866-06-28
Sponge Divers.

to q dive Is very peculiar and interest
ing. The diver whose turnit is takes
his seat on the deck Of vessel, at either
the bow or stern, and, placing by his
side large fiat slab Of marble, weigh
ing about twenty-five pounds, to which
lie attached rope Of the proper length
and thickness tone inch and a half) he
then strips, and is left by his compan-
ions to prepare himself This seems to
consist in devoting a certain time to
clearing the passages of bis lungs by ex-
pectoratioD, and highly infatng them
afterwards-thus. oxodizng his blood
very highly by repetition Of deep IN
spirations. The operation lasts from
five to ten minutes, or more, according
to the depth; and during it the operator
is never interfered with by lis compan-
ions, and seldom speaks Or is spoken to.
He is simply watched by two oF them,
but at little distance, and they never
venture to urge him or to distract him
in any way during theprocess. 1t tseems
to a spectator as il the diver were going
through a sort Of mysterious ceremony
or incantatiOn.
When, from some sensation known
only to himself after these repeated, ,
long-dgawn and heavy Inspirations, he
deems the fitting rnomentto have arrived,
he seizes the slab Of marble, and, after
crossing himself and uttering prayer,
plunge3 withit, like returning dolphin,
into the sea, and rapidly dc5ceuds-
The stone is always held during the de-
scent directly in front Of the head, at
arms length, and so as to offer as little
resistance as possible, and by varying
its inclination it acts likewise as a rud-
der, causing the descent to be more or
less vertical, as desired by the diver.
As soon as he reaches the bottom he
places the stone under bis arm to keep
himself down, and then walks about on
the rock or Crawls under its !edges,
stufing the spoDges into netted bag
with hooped mouth, which is strung
around his neck to receive them; but
he holds firmly to the stone or rope all
the while as bis safeguard for returning
and for making known the signal at the
time he desires it,
Now let US notice the proceedings Of
his companions in the boat floating some
twenty or thirty fathoms above him
The two men who were nearest to him
previously to his making the dive, but
who Systematically seem to place them
selves so as to prevent him from con-
ceiving the idea of being impatiently
watched by them while undergoing the
preparation, spring to their feet as soon
as he disappears, and rush to the rope,
which one of them holds in his hand,
veering it ont or shortening it in, as the
diver moves about upon the bottom,
and as soon as the signal indicative of
his wish to return is felt, they commence
hauling up the rope with great energy
and earnestness, and in way calculated
to insure the greatest expedition Of as
cent, since an overstay Of a few seconds
may be a point Of life Or death with the
diver
The hauling up is thus effected: The
assistant who has hold of the rope,
awaiting the signal, first reaches down
with both hands as far as he can, and
there grasping the rope, with great bod
lily effort, raises it up to nearly arms
length over his head; the second as
sistant is then prepared to make his
grasp as low down as he can reach, and
does the same, aud so on, the two al
ternately, and by a fathom or more at
time, and with great rapidity, bring the
anxious diver to the surface. A heavy
blow from his nostrils, to expel the water
and exhausted air, indicates to his com
rades that he is conscious and breathes.
A word or two is spoken by one of his
comrades to encourage him if he seems
much distressed-as it is often the case;
and the hearing Of the voice is said by
them to be a great support at the mo-
ment of their greatest exhaustion. A
few seconds rest at the surface, and then
the diver returns into the boat to recoy-
er, generally putting on an under-gar-
ment or jacket to assist the restoration
of the animal heat he had lost, and to
prevent the loss of more by the too rap
id evaporation of water from his body.
Such is the trying life of a Levantine
sponge. diver; and doubtless there are
very few of us who have any idea Of
what a fellow-cr creature has suffered in
procuring that little which has become a
necessity of our toilet table aud the lux
ury of our morning ablutions ,-Spraa's
Travels in Trpfe