, 1872-08-22

turned loose, Catching them, We
mounted and returned to Martins Ran
cho, where We got something to eat.
A couple of the party we're then sent
to San Bernardino to obtain supplies
for our own had been lost in the canon.
Upon their return we resumed our jour
ney, an account of which may give
you at some future time.
SPONGE FIsHNG-From the account
gwen by Vice Consul Green, of the
Tunisian Sponge fishery in his report
to the Foreign Office, which has lately
boen issued, 1t would seem that to fish
for sponges requires as much if not
more skill than to fish for salmon. Tho
sponge fishery is most actively carried
on during the three months of Decem-
Der, january, and Februry, for at other
seasons the places where the sponges
exist are overgrown with sea-weeds.-
Tie storms during November and De-
cember destroy ard sweep away the
thick marine vegetation and leave the
sponges exposed to view. The fishery
is divided into two seasons, namely,
summer and winter; the former COM
mencing in March and ending in No
vember, and the latter as noted above.
But the collection of sponges is not
very productive in summer, as it is con-
fined to the operations carried on with
diving apparatus, which can only be
used on rocky and firm bottomed places,
OF to the success of native fishermen,
who wade along the shores and feel for
sponges with their feet among the mas
ses OF seaweed. The sponges thus COL
leeted by the Arabs are also of an in
ferier quality, owing to the small depth
water IN which they have grown. As
nevertheless, calm weather and smooth
sea are essential for the success of the
fishermen, the winter season, although
lasting three months, does not generally
afford more than forty-iive working days.
The Arab inhabitants of the coast,
Greeks principally from Kranidi, near
Naapia, Napol de Roumnnia, and
Sicilians, are chiefly employed in the
fishery, the Greeks. however, being the
most expert fishermen, while the Arabs
are the least skiIfuH. Sponges, says
the PaH Mail Gazette, are obtained by
spearing with a trident, by diving with
Oh without the assistance of an appar<
atus, or by dredging with machine
somewhat similar to an oyster dredge.
The Arab fishermen, principally natives
OF Markenah and Jerbah employ boats
called sandals, manned by from four to
seven persons, one of whom is the har-
pooner, while the others manage the
sails, etc. The spearman watches for
the sponges from the bow of the sandal.
and the boat is luffed around on his per-
ceiying one, so as to enable him to strike
it. The depth of the sea in which the
Arabs fish is from fifteen feet to thirty
five feet. Although the Greeks are
most expert divers, the majority of them
use the spear. They employ small and
light boats, just sufficient to carry
spearman and an oarsman. The boat is
rowed gently along, wLile the spearman
searches the bottom of the sea by means
of a tin tube of fourteen inches in dame
ter by nineteen inches in length, at one
end of which is placed thick sheet Of
glass. This tube is slightly immersed
in the water, and enables the fisherman
to view the bottom undisturbed by the
oscillations of the surface. The spears
used by the Greeks are shorter than
those employed by the natives and Sici-
lians, but with wonderful adroitness
they are enabled to reach sponges COW
cred by sixty feet of water. They hold
in their hands from three to four spears,
and dart them SO quickly and with sucl.
precision, one after the other, that be-
fore the first has time to disappear un-
der the surface the second strikes its up
per extremity, and thus gives it addi-
tional impetus to reach the sponge aim
ed at. The Sicilians, also, fish with
spear in small rowing boats, but do not
understand the employment Of the tube,
and have not acquired the knack Of the
Greeks IN using three or four spears;
they consequently seldom secure an
equal number of sponges. although they
are always more successful than the
Arabs. The produce of the fishery IL,
it is stated, susceptible of considerable
augmentation by an increase in the
number of fishermen, and new sponge
is reproduced within q year wherever
one has been removed.
DISTURBANCE IN THE SuN.-Familiar
as we all are with the great luminary Of
the solar system, astronomers at this
particularly epoch were never SO wildly
excited in regard to its physical charac-
ter. Since the invention of the spec
troscope, they have found that we have