The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1872-07-25
rrrom the PAN Nall Gazette-l
SPONGE FISHING.
Eov and when the Industry IS Car
rIed On.

Pam the account given by Vice
f,ons,,l Green, Of the THnisian sponge
6sherv in his report to the tofelgn
once which has lately been Issued |
= vvonfCf seem that to fish Tor sponges
-eoriires as much IL not more skill
fI,so 70 fish for salmon. the sponge
fsherv Is most actively carried on
durin1 the three months OF Deeem-
her January and February, Tor al
other seasons the places where tile
snonpes exist are OVergrOwn with sea-
Ireeds. The storms during NoVem-
her and December destroy and sweep
avray the thick marine vegetation
and leave the spOnges exposed 70
view. The fishery Is divided into
two seasons, namely, summer and
vzinfar. she former commencing IN
March and ending in November, and
fhe latter as noted above. But the
collection Of sponges is not very pro-
duetive in summer, az II Is conhneo
tn the operations carried on with DIV
ing apparatas, which can only De used
on rocky and hrm-bottomed places
or t0the s0ocess Of native fishermen,
who wade along the shores and feel
for sponges with their feet among the
masses Of seaweed. The spOnges thus
collected by the Arabs are also Of an
inferior quality, owing to the small
depth OF water IL which they are
grown. As, nevertneless, calm wealth
er and q smooth sea are essential 20
the success of the fishermen, the win
ter season, although lasting three
months, does not generally S1oro
more than IS working days. Ihe
Arab inhabitants Of the coast, Greeks,
principally from Kranidi, near Maui
pIia, (Napoli de Romania,) and Sieili-
ans. are chiefly employed in the
sponre-fis s1efy the Creeks bOFeYef,
being the most expert fishermen
while The Arabs are the least skillfuL
Sponges are either obtained by spear
ing with q trident, diving with OF
without the assistance Of an apparat-
US, and by dredging with 8 machine
somewhat similar to an oyster 0redge.
The Arab fishermen, principally ma
tives Of Markenah ann Jerbat, en-
pleg boats called sandals, manned by
four to seven persons, one OF whom Is
the harpoOner or spearmaDl Wnlle
the Others manage the sails, etc. The
spearmRn watches for the sponges
from the bow Of the sandal, and the
boat Is luffed round on his perceiying
one. so as to enable him 70 strike II
The deEth of the sea IN which the
Arabs fish Is from fifteen to twenty
I've feet. Although the Greeks ar'
most expert divers, the majority o
them use the spear. They emplo!
small and light boats, Just sufficient z
carry a spearman and Oarsman. IN
hoaf Is rowed gently along, while tn
sDearnan searches the bottom OF th'
sea bv means Of & tube Of tin four
teen inches in diatd deter by nineteei
inehes in length, at one end of which
"a placed q thick sheet Of glass. TIT
tube Is slightly immersed In tn
water, and enables the fisherman Y
view the bottom undisturDed by tn'
oscillations Of the surface. The spear
used by the Greeks are shorter thai
those employed by the natives anS
gicilians, but with wonderful aorolt
ness they are enabled 70 reach sponge
covered with sixty feet OF water
They hold in their hands from thre
to fonF spears and Dart them SO quick
" and with such precision, one ate
the other, snd before the first hai
time to disappear under the surfac
the second strikes lis upper extremi
", and thus gives it additional I'M
petus to reach the sponge aimed q
The Eicilians also fish with the spea
and in small rowing boats, but do DO
understand the employment OF tn
tube, and have not acquired the knae
Of the Greeks in using three or fou
spears: they consequently seldom Sc
cure an equal quantity ofspOnges, e
though they are always more success
ful than the Arabs. The produce Q
the fishery IS, itis stated. susceptibl
Of considerable augmentation by 81
increase in the number OF fishermen
and q new sponge is reproduced will
in year wherever one has been II
moved. 49,.