The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1886-06-02
sPoNeEs.
How They are Gathered and Prcpar-
ed for the Market.


Previous to about 1850 the Bahama Is
landers cared little for anything that was
more tame than wrecking. That was the
favorite business of both men and women,
who thought virtually nothing of pursuing
the ordinary methods of obtaining liveli-
hood. But when the number of wrecks
were lessened by the erection of lighthouses
and the substitution of steam for sailing
craft the islanders gradually turned their
attention to the cultivation of the soil and
the exploration of the depths of the sea.
The outcome became twofold. The two in
dustries that sprang up We're the pineapple
business and the sponge trade, which are
now of such importance that they bring
considerably money into the colonies, and
furnish steady and lucrative employment to
several thousand persons.
When the first sponges were taken out
they We're commercially divided into two
classes, the coarse and fine, worth respec-
lively five and ten cents n pound. Now
there are recognized to be nine classes,
which, in the order of their values, are
sheep wool, white reef, velvet, dark reef,
boat hard head, grass, yellow and glove
OF some of these varieties there are several
grades. Bahama and Florida sponges are
about of the same value, but they are both
rated in the market ms inferior to those q
the Mediterranean. Previous to the rebel
lion the amount of sponge gathered annual
" scarcely exceeded one ton, and II was
worth on an average 1916 per 100 pounds.
There are several hundred sponge craft,
each of eight or ten tons burden, and carry
ing from six to twelve men. Though these
7essels merely coast along the banks and
among the reefs, they carry six weeks sup
ply of provisions and do not run under lee ex
cept in case of n storm. The sponges are
found where the water is shallow and nre to
be seen growing on the rocks and reefs.
They arc caught by diving or by means of
iron hooks fastened to slender poles When
first brought TO the surface they are black,
gelatinous and soft, for the sponge proper
is only the skeleton of a jelly-like sen ami
nal. The catch, spread on the decks of the
vessels, dies and the living covering de.
Guys Niilttiiik ~ hViAi'iN tAtOi III uttpH1OS-
ing. When cargo is secured the vessel puts
III at its home bny and the sponges IRE
placed in pond of stakes, at the water's
edge, where the action of the tide tends to
remove the black covering. The process is
completed by pounding by hand, and they
are strung on strips of palmetto, each strip
having four sponges, and being called q
"beed.h A cargo of "beed is worth from
BOO to 5000, and the sales and handling
are substantially controlled by the Nassau
Sponge Exchange Company, limited, which
is chartered and makes regular exchange
sales.
After Il sponges are clipped to good
shape, they are put to soak in watts of lime
water, and after several hours are dried and
bleached /. the sun. Next day they are
pressed into bales, each two by eight feet
and weighing 100 pounds These bales,
when ineased in bagging and strongly cord
cd, ready for shipment. All of the
work, from catching 10 shipment, is done
by native blacks. Nearly all go either 10
the United States or England. --Ahd- Cali
0I7lidf.