Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1874-08-12
DIVING ON THE SYRIAN COAST.
Extent Of the Sponge, Fiskeries-How the
~i'f Harvest is Gathered. s55H +f'

DIVING ON THE SYRIAN COAST.
Extent Of the Sponge Fisheries-How the
| '''f Harvest is Gathered. s''7 +A'
.1 at. From the. Pail Mall Gazette. ,.t. F.
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 the sponges fshed
on the coast of Syria liz from EGO, 900 to
EOS, 900. This production is however,
falling off through excessive fishing,
and the consequent exhaustion of the
fishery grounds. About from $50 to 300
boats are at present employed in this
industry on the coast of Syria, manned
by 1900 men. The centres of produc-
ton are Tripoli, Raud, Lattakia, and
The best qualities are found in the neigh
borhood of Tripoli and Batroun but
the boats visit all parts of the coast,
from Mount Carmel in the south to
Alexandretta in the north. sg .. .......
The majority of the boats used are
ordinary fishing boats, three parts
decked over, and carrying one mast
with an ordinary lug sail. They are
from eighteen to thirty feet in length,
and are manned by crew of four or
five men, of whom one is especially en-
gagged for the purpose of hauling, while
the rest ale divers. In some cases the
men own their own boats, but generally
they are hired for the season, which ex-
tends from June to the middle of Octo-
Der. No wages are paid; the remunera-
ton consists in an equal share of the
produce Of the fishing. The profits of
a good diver reach as high as G4O q
season. Diving is practiced from a
very early age up to forty years, beyond
which few are able to continue the per-
suit. 1t does not appear, however,
that the practice has any tendency
to shorten life, although as the diver
approaches forty he is less able to COM
pete with his younger and more vigor-
Gus brothers. The time during which a
Syrian diver can remain under water
depends, OF course, on his age and train
ing. Sixty seconds is reckoned good
work, but there are rare instances Of
men who can remain below eighty Sec
onds. The men on the coast, however,
make extraordinary statements as to
able to remain under water, and gravely
assert that eight or ten minutes are not
impossibilities. ossaf'uaa saa saf..
The manner Of diving is as follows
The diver-naked of conrse-with an
open net around his waist for the recep-
ticle of his prizes, seizes with both
hands an oblong white stone to which
is attached rope, and plunges over
board. On arriving at the bottom the
stone is deposited at his feet, and keep
ing hold OF the rope with one hand the
diver grasps and tears off the sponges
within reach, which he deposits in his
net. He then, by series of jerks to
the rope, givesthe signal to those above,
and is drawn up. No knife, spear, or
instrument of any kind is used. The
Syrian diver, unlike his Greek competi-
tor, never uses the diving dress, having
an antipathy to it on the score of its al
legged 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, on returning to regain
the rope will miss the spot, and be un-
able to find it. He then attempts torise
unassisted, and being ignorant of the ex-
act direction, often strikes out diagonal
~, and is drowned before he can reach the
surface. Other accidents again happen
from jagged or pointed rocks, which
beside sometimes wounding the divers,
often entangle his rope, and thus in
great depths expose him to the risk of
drowning. The depths to which the
diver descends vary from five to thirty
"brasses, each equal to an ordinary
mans height. Below the extreme limit
mentioned no good sponges are found
In former years the Syrian coast was
much frequented by Greek divers from
the Islands of the Archipelago. 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, enabling him
to compete successfully with his foreign
opponent.
Although they vary much in quality
and size, sponges may generally be
classified. The fine white bell-shapd
sponge, known as the 'toilet sponge -
2. The large reddish variety, known as
"sponge de Venise, or ''bath sponges;
3. The coarse red sponge used for house
hold purposes and cleaning Two-thirds
of the produce Of the Syrian coast are
purchased by the native merchants, who
send it to Europe for sale, while the
remainder is purchased 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 Government from this in
dustry is tenth Of the value of the
produce calculated upon the price paid
to the finders by the traders, and which
is paid in cash by the former to the tax
farmer on the conclusion of his sale.
Prepared Laudanum.
A Bennington, VT, druggist sold it
under the name of laudanum A sim