Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1885-06-12
DIVING AFTER THE CORAL.
SWIMMING ABOUT IN STONY
GRovEs FAR BELOW TIE SEA.
Queer Creatures that Make Their

"Too much7" repeated a man, as he
held up big bunch of coral in the cabin
Of schooner near Fulton market. IF
you had to git it up you wouldn't think
30.
"You know" said the man, after the
would-be purchaser had crawled up the
ompanionway ladder, "some folks git
the idea that l bring this stuff on for
fun, and give it away. div like o.
fifty foot for that piece, and that chap
wanted to take it for twenty five cents"
$50 you dive for these specimens2"
asked the writer.
"Yes, the best are fotched up that
way" was the reply; "but good many
are taken with coral hooks. Me and my
brother takes trip, off and ON. One of
us collects the stuff and the other sells,
and between the two, and as acting as
cook for the steamer, we make it pay.
Eyes, we see some curious sights, but
we git used to it. We go to what they
call the 'Markeys,' about forty miles or
so the west'ard of Key West. You can
git coral any time, but the summers the
best; then there is little wind a -blowin',
and you can see the bottom in forty
foot. In the winter we use boat with
glass bottom, so we can set and drift
along and look down through, and when
we see anything git over for 1t.
There's half dozen kinds of coral
that are common, and nSNStly they grow
apart and in certain places. What we
call branch coral is found all over the
aats where there is sandy bottom, grow
ing kind of low like; but when it gifts
along toward the edge of the channel,
The branches grow longer and look like
regular branches of tree, and matted so
thick that you can't see bottom or git
your fist in between 'em. Sometimes,
when we want to git out fine piece of
branch, we dive down into the channel,
and | tell you it's a fine sight. When
you git down thirty foot, say, it's as light
rs day when there's a good sun right
overhead, and there you are in front of a
wall of these 'ere coral points, solid
front, all of brownish or olive color. If
you git way down to the bottom you'll
see crawfish whips wavin' to and fro.
They live under the coral, and on top
and in between the black spots are big
,ea eggs, with spines six inches long
The coral is covered with fishes Of all
kinds-parrots, angels, yellow tails and
yrunts. The fishes have dozen or more
;olors, and one kind that l think beats
EN- all is pure blue from head to foot
It's only about six inches long, and |
never saw them away from the big heads.
" After practice you can stay down
three or four minutes, and by swimming
along with your eyes open you can git
a look at the lot, and then try and
break off a branch with boathook of
ron. Sometimes we have to go down
four or five times to git piece; then, if
t's big, put a rope around it and haul
It up. Most of the small coral can be
oicked up with hook that looks like a
pair of oyster hooks, but it's apt to break
1t, so | generally go overheard when the
coral amt too thick. There's one place
know where for hundred acres it's so
chick that there amt place to put your
foot-one big piece of branch coral.
The big heads generally grow on the
edge of the channel and can take you
20 spot where there's coral heads that
are ten foot across and six high. Some
If the big ones weigh over one thousand
pounds. When they git big they often
die away on the top, and finally get hol-
owed out and look like big vases hold
ing angel fishes, crawtish, and little of
everything. You never see the big
leads here, because vessels can't git near
EN-, and small boat wouldn't hold one.
In water about twenty to twenty-five
ieet deep we git the best pieces, what
;hey call rose coral. 1 git them by
aivin', as they're so small you can't see
I chem hardly. I've got punches not big
ger than your hand, and got $40 for
EN-. Pretty amt no name for EN-.
asst one l got came near cleanin me
out"
"How so9"
"Well," replied the coral diver" we
nave fish on the reef called the
'tingaree; it's as flat as your hand, with
swo side wings that move up and down
As it swims along They are about two
Or three feet wide and six or eight long.
The tail is just like the lash of a whip,
and right where it joins the body there
are three stings of bone, one right above
.he other, five or six inches long, with
edges like saw. They have way oil
sinking down to the bottom, and with a
shuttle something like that OF hen in
the dust, covering themselves with sand.
This day l speak of was driftin' along
in about three fathoms, layin' in the
ooat loolzin' through the glass, while my
mate was at the oars ready to stop hei
when l sung out. All at once l clapped
my eyes on beauty head of rose coral,
and over | went. | reckon it was about
ffteen foot jest there, and went down
with such a rush that l went near to the
potion right over the little brown head.
grabbed at what thought was bunch
of weed, to hold on while l picked ur
The coral. l got it and then let my feet
down on to the bottom to give myself q
shove up, when, blim blim came some.
ching around my legs, and Pm dogged
If didn't think they were off at the
knees, and big stingaree flew up by me,
/ takin' me on all sides. The
next thing knew l was in the
aingy, but how l got there ]
didn't know. Bob said he looked over
and saw blood in the water and the fish
and thought shark had me. The fish
raised such dust that for minute he
couldn't see nothing, but he grabbed the
grains, then seein' me on the bottom put
EN- into my drawers, and hauled me
up. I'd tainted, clean gone, as sure as
you're alive. looked like that old fish
market over yonder, all streaked with
gore. There was dozen cuts across my
egs, jist like fed-hot iron had been
out on, and if I'd been alone it would
nave been gone case"
"Do you ever have trouble with
sharks9"