Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-04-14
SPONGE.FlSHING,
Nassan's Chief Industry-CuriOus and
Bes uttfui Notwithstanding for Mar.
ket-PearIs i'm the COnck
Cores .ssnaence of the New York Evening Post.

ScIefsists have wrestled long and bitterly
over e. nature and origin of the sponge. Up to
not resny years ago most of them agreed on
Classifying it simply as one Of the infinite series
OF submarine vegetables. Later scientific
oplniots, however, sets down the sponge as an
animal or rather bunch of minute animals of
low ofganism cell shaped, equipped with a
stomach and digestive machinery, throwing off
from tHeir bodies masses of formulated eggs. and
developing in combination with each other that
hbfous mass which ultimately reaches our mar
kets az the sponge of commerce. Take one of
these Nnasses which we call sponge and eX-
anime it more critically. 1t will be found to
DE group OF small tibrOus cells which, after
ramIy.ng more or less, connect with large
round aperturcs penetrating TAR into the sponge
mass. By suction, or some more occult process
the sea water is drawn through the smaller cells
and their partitions. The living organism then
takes i1p from the passing fluid and deyOlirS the
minute dLgs. on which it is supposed to feed
The water. then loaded with excrement pours
outward IN a constant current through the
larger Orilices. A big sponge has therefore been
ap.iy likeHed To suhaque0us city. whose fnhab-
fants take up food from the water that passes
their doors and discharge the residuum into the
large round channels which represent the sewers
lake the world over, SpOnges appear in so many
species and with so great a diversity of living
organisms. that the discussion of the whole
subject would take us too far into haZy battle
heids at science. Suffice it only to say here
that liaeckel, the famous German naturalist
contends that the sponge sheds most luminous
scientific light on the remOter methods of eyO-
luton SO that contemplating one of these
inert masses OF fiber hanging prosaically in the
drug store. evOiutonsts may regard it with
something of the rcyerenta regret due to a pro-
t0pfaSmic ancestor
Tie Twin" sponge when first taken from these
waters ct the Bahamas, differs almost as much
from the commercial article as a human BODY
from it's own SkeletOn-fOr practically what
reaches the market is partly the skeleton partly
the dwelling OF Il bunch of sea organisms When
first pulled from the rocks where it grows the
sponge looks like a corrugated mass of putty.
1t IS crab in color, exceedingly heavy, has
SickentIg OdOr. and is SutfGSed bv q stringy
mucus which drops from it in long viscous lines
The external pores are partly closed by sort of
sea bug. which finds refuge in Them and must
be an annoying interlOper to the sponge-builders:
While often red sea worm an inch or two in
length is found far within the spongy fhers.
whittier he has worked his way. What is the
exact function of the mucous fluid does not vet
appear TO be clearly settled. But it is certain
that when taken from the sponge and placed on
SUE bottoms new SpOngeS are prOpaGated from
1t: and ii two pieces of the same living sponge,
or OF different sp0n@es of the same species are
laid side by side on the sea bottom they soon
grow together. The vitality of the sponge, in
fact, coupled with tine decrease OF the supply
suggests that ere many years artificial propaya-
ton may have 10 be used.
TIE FISHERMEN AND THEIR WORK
The negro spOngc-iishers who ply their trade
here i'll the Bahamas are a race of seamen not
too regular in habits morals and living a
sadly monotonous life of exposure and priva-
ton Their voyages to the sponge fisheries last
each for six weeks. during which they live
crowded on board their craft under conditions
OF hardship which in a cline less saIuhrious
would be fatal to health and life The sponre
iirnS lind for them the boats supplies and
equipment which they use on their six weeks
trip. The sponge bottoms most sought at this
time are on the coral beds at the south side of
EleutheTa Island. fifty miles east of Nassau
with good wind the fisheries are reached in
eight or ten hours from this port. Then the real
toll begins. Lying on his chest along the boats
deck, the fisher with his watcr-glass-a pane set
In box fitted with handleS-looks down forty
feet INTO the clear depths. With one hand he
graSps and sinks a slender pole some
times fifty feet in length fitted at the end
with a double hook. The sponge. once dis
covered. the hook is deftly inserted at the rocky
base. and by sudden jerk the sponge is de-
tached to te brought up on deck. mis- curt
description OF what seems the simpl1Dor of
sponge fishing gives no idea of the real skill and
eXertion needed. The eye OF the fisher has to
be trained By long experience TO peer into the
sea aud tell the commercially valuable sponges
from those that are worthless. He must have
a deft hand to manage the swayinr
hook forty feet down so as to detach the
sponge without tear. Above al. while doing
TINS with one hand. he must manipulate with
the other the water glass as the waves SWAY it
sideways and up or down. The strain on eve
and body is most Intense to say nothing of the
cramped position and exposure to wind and
wet which first and last make almost every
sponge fisher victim Of acute rheumatism.
ct with all his arduOus toll a faithful sponge
Usher earns not more than S15 month besides
his keep" on the boat, which barely deserves
the name Of existence.
All the Bahama waters abound in spoures of
great variety. but many Of them worthless for
the market. Those that are good for nothing
else are often most beautiful for curiOsities
They take most wOndrous and striking shapes
now a cup. 10" an Uld-fash0ned drinkng-horn
anon a great bunch of mOssy cup-Shaned
growths, and frequently foliated, like the tree
coral. \ cup-shaped sponge, found some years
ago in bahama waters and said to be the second
largest In the world measured seven feet in cir
and its walls from four to six
inches In thickness. Up to two or three years
ago the Bahama fisheries showed signs OF ex-
haustion. but the discovery of the Eleuthera
bottoms has proved gCdsend to the fishermen,
anu are likely to supply the markets for some
years to come at least.
PREPARING sPONGEs FOR MARKET.
Next comes the process of preparing the
sponges for export First they are either
placed on deck under the tropical sun or hung
in long festoOns from the little vessels mast.
Iii either case the heat of the sun in q few DAYS
Kills all the living organisms within the fibre
and loosens them for the next process Then
the spongcs are dumped into sort of water
cage made by driving circle of small piles few
inches apart from each other in the sand
Through these piles the tide plays violently
washing away from the sponge after few hours
the sand. dead animalcnl9 and other impurities
with which the mass is cOgged During these
operations the sponge naturally emits a most
fetid and revolving odor, but the final washing
leaves them with that not unpleasant flavor of
the sea with which they reach our marts.
Usually. at least here at Nassau where
the bulk Of the Bahama sponges come
for market, they undergo no process of
publication other than has just been described.
But sometimes they are Immersed in a bath
OF diluted hydrOchlOrc acid, which not only
beaches them but dissOlves what few impuri-
ties have been left. After the final driving
sponges are assorted. baled, and then are ready
for market. The grades and qualities are num-
berless. There are. besides Others the ''sheep
WOOL, selling for about 81. rs pound: the
AbacO velvet $50 called from its velvety fibre)
worth about $1.10 a pound; and the ''gloye."
yellow" and grassy" varieties all selling IA
low as fifty cents Before being baled it should
lI