Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1874-10-10
SYRIAN SPONGE FISHERIES.

'' SYRIAN SPONGE FISHERIES.
Some interesting information, respect
ing the Syrian sponge fisheries, is given
by Vice Consul Jago (Beyrout) in his
commercial report for 1873, just issued
The total value of sponges fshed on
the coast of Syria is from $40. 900 to
$25 ,0O0., The production is, however,
falling Of through excessive fishing,
and the consequent exhaustion of the
fishery grounds. Abouttwo hundred and
fifty to three hundred boats are at pres
ent employed in this industry on the
coast of Syria, manned by about fifteen
hundred men. The centers of produc-
ton are Tripoli, Ruad, Lattakia and
Batroun on the coast of Lebanon. The
best qualities are found in the neigh
borhood of Tr;poli and Batroun, but
the boats visit all parts of the coast,
from Mount Carmel in the south to
Alexandretsa in the north. The ma
jority of the boats used are ordinary
fishing boats, three parts decked over,
and carrying one mast with an ordinary
sail. They are from eighteen to thirty
feet in length and are manned by four
or FIVE men, one of whom is especially
engaged for the purpose Of hauling,
while the rest are divers. In some
cases the men own the boats, but gen.
orally they are hired for the season,
which extends from June to the middle
of October. No wages are paid; the
remuneration consists in an equal share
of the produce of the fishing. The profits
of good diver reach as high as 94O
season. Diving is practiced from
very early age up to forty years, beyond
which few are able to continue the
pursuit. 1t does not appear however,
that the practice has o tendency to
shorten life, although as the driver
approaches forty he is less able to COM
pete with his younger and more vigor-
Gus brother. The time during which
q Syrian diver can remain under water
depends, of course. on his age and
training. Sixty seconds is reckoned
good work, but there are rare instances
of men who are able to stay below
eighty seconds. The men on the coast
however, make extraordinary statements
as to the length of time their best hands
are able to remain under water, and
gravely assert that eight and ten min
utes are not impossibilities. The man
ner of diving is as follows: The diver
naked of course-with an open net
around his waist for the receptacle of
his prizes, seizes with both hands an
oblong white stone, to which is attached
a rope, and plunges overheard. On ar
irving at the bottom the stone is depos-
tied at his feet, and keeping hold of the
rope with one hand, the diver grasps
and tears off the sponges within reach,
which he desposits in his net. He then,
by series of jerks to the rope, gives
the signal to those above, and is drawn
up. No knife, spear or instrument OF
any kind is used. The Syrian diver, un-
like his Greek competition, never uses
the diving dress, having an antipathy
on the score of its alleged tendency to
produce paralysis of the limbs. Two
or three fatal accidents annually occur,
mainly among the skillful and daring.
The diver will quit his hold of the rope
and wander some distance to secure
prize, and on returning to regain the
rope will miss the spot and be unable to
find it. He then attempts to rise unas-
sisted, and being ignorant of the exact
direction, often strikes out diagonally,
and is drowned before he can reach
the surface. Other accidents again
happen from jagged or pointed rocks,
which, beside sometimes wounding the
diver, often entangle his rope, and thus
in great depths expose him to the dan
ger of drowning. The depth to which
the diver descends varies from five to
thirty /" brasses," each equal to an ordi-
nary mans height. Below the extreme
limits mentioned no good sponges are
found. In former years the Syrian
coast was much frequented by Greek
divers from the islands of the Archipe-
lago. Their number is now restricted
to five or six boats annually, the skill of
the Syrian, combined with his superior
knowledge of the fishing grounds, en-
abling him to compete successfully with
his foreign opponent. Although they
vary much in quality and size, the
sponge may be generally classified as:
First-the fine white bell-shaped sponge
known as the toilet sponge; Second
The large reddish variety known as the
sponge de Venice, or bath sponges;
Third-The coarse, red sponge used for
household purposes and cleaning.
Two-thirds Of the produce of the Syrian
coast are purchased by the native mer-
chants, who send it to Europe for sale
while the remainder ispurchased on the
spot by French agents, who annually
visit Syria for the purpose. France takes
the bulk of the finest qualities, while
the reddish and common sponges are
sent to Germany and England. The
revenue derived by the Government
from this industry is tenth of the
value of the produce calculated upon
the prices paid to the finders by traders.
and which is paid in cash by the former
to the tax-collector on the conclusion of
his sale.