The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-06-27
SPONGING IN THE BAHAMAS.
AN industry of Great Importance to
the Lazy Islanders.
From the Netp York Gydrhic.


stores whose most attractive signs re curl
Gus looking sponges, presenting much the
same appearance that they did when fast
ened to the coral rocks which form the bot
tom OF the sea in t he neighborhood Of the
Bahama islands. Sponges of all kinds and
descriptions are to be found inside. No
longer ago than yesterday a metropolitan
resident, looking for bath sponge. earned
the contempt Of Bahaman, who had Just
landed from the steamar Cienfuegos and
was dlckerlng for some extra Long Branch
money which he hoped to get out Of sundry
strands of sponges which he had brought
from their resting place near the Windward
islands The New Yorker was paying big
silver dollar for the sponge which the Ba-
hannah would gladly have sold to him for
dime If 1t had carried with it fair dealing to
the man from whom he hoped to get an
even half dime for the strands of sponges
he was seeking to SELL
The Cienfuegos had brought 1900
strands" of sponges besides sundry bales Of
sponge clippings. In fact. excepting very
modest freighting of semitropical vegetables
and few green turtles, her freight compart-
ments contained nothing but sponges
Even the high prices to be obtained for
early vegetables have not to any great ex-
tent detached the islanders from relying
upon ''sponging" as their main stay of a
bread winning industry. Tomatoes flour
ish in the few sports where a few inches
of soil have been induced upon the cora
line and chalk foundation, and sundry tropi,
cal fruits can be persuaded to grow even
where the rocks seem as bare OF soil as the
palm Of mans hand is of hair. Nature
is exuberant in its returns for agricultural
or horticultural tickling, but with cheerful
optimism the natives stick to the ''sea fruit"
which made living for their uttermost for
bears and is still sufficiency productive for
their uses.
THE BAHAMAN MARINE.
The marine establishment of the Bahama
islands is almost wholly composed of
''sponging" schooners and sloops. They are
distinguished almost wholly by the posses
sion of one or two mastS. In size they run
as close to each other as the individual her
rings of school. In interior fitting they
are identical. Each carries ''turtlo reser-
vation," a compartment in which are
housed enough green turtle to furnish the
spongers food for the voyage. They come
easily for the catching, and the rude cook
ing that is considered sufficient to prepare
them for the table would turn the soul of
Hoboken Turtle Clu5ite to infinite loathing.
Barring the small tween decks thus occu-
DIt0y buc IoiIldlIiuOk VI OuS NOooSA 10 u0NOltu
to the storing of sponges and the tools to
get them with
Take one of these craft when making its
last reach for the port Of Nassau, New
Providence. If she have two masts strands
of sponges are stretched between them so
that they look something like a naval YES
sci on the general wash day. Sponges are
everywhere. Down under the hunks in the
cabin and piled UP on its floor On deck
forward of the foremost are several dozen.
In the yawl and port bow are several more
Sponges of all sorts are there from the
rough grass qualify to the fine glove and
wool sponge. They are the Key Vesters
1.-THE original sponger must have been a
Philadelphian judging from the suppression
of the w, hedge hogs, yellow sponges, wine
sponges, bouquet, finger, mullet and even
the rare and much sought cup sponges.
The craft is lacking through the Hole-in-
the-Wall passage, which leads up to Mas
sau's harbor, and its freight represents the
lazy labor of sixteen men spread over the
last six weeks. Each STRAND" connects fif-
teen OF eighteen sponges, and all of them are
seeking q market through the English Elk
change of the city of Nassau, n. P.
A NOVEL EXCHANGE.
This alleged exchange deserves especial
mention. A New Yorker with visions of
the Wall street and Whitehall street struct-
ures aroused by the name would probably
be sadly disappointed by personal acquaint-
auce with the greatest sponge exchange on
this continent. 1t is simply big shed, des-
titute of side walls of any description and
wholly open to the public. Scattered
throughout it are piles of sponges strung
together in strands. At Ga. IN. the brokers
assemble. They are clad in tow linen gar
ments and chip hats. Time is too plentiful
! ,,os+o xx,rob If IL IN huSipasc or cooio hill
ity. They merely cast critical glances over
the various piles of sponges, write down
their bids on tabs, carefully folding the slips
and depositing them with the clerk of the
exchange At high noon the bids are
opened and compared. The highest bidder
becomes the purchaser This sounds like a
rude and primitive way of doing business,
but the Nassau brokers enjoy the reputation
of shrewdness which belongs to men who
can bid within or cents of each other on
merchandise worth $500 or $500.
Off the Neapoiitan coast, and in other
seas where the protozoaus grow, they are
gathered by diving. The Bahamas are too
shrewd or too lazy for any such Anticipated
methods. Possible it is the clear water that
surrounds the islands, where the bottom
NAV be seen at almost any depth, that en-
ables them to use the crane in sponging
These are long poles varying from 20 to 3S
feet Ill lengCn WIN curVeO pTOnBS at one
end. The prongs detach the sponge from
its coral anchorage and convey it to the
boat. A water glass-a pail with a glass
bottom-is used to locate the sponges, and
by its use the sponge-fisher can distinguish
his prey from other forms of marine life at
almost any depth. AS the sponges appear
on the surface they..have very unattract-
i've, dirty, purple, livery sort Of look.
They are washed, rubbed, dried and strung
ON strands which are doused with sea water
three or four times day.
A SPONGE CRAWL.
Every fishinging smack has ''crawl,"
which is something like the fish weir which
infests certain fishing grounds in the North,
Stockades of saplings bound together with
MANILA or cocoa fiber are submerged and in
them the catch is deposited until enough are
collected to make profitable trip to Mas
sau. Sponges are plentiful down in Nassau
at 60 cents a strand.
The trade Of the Bahama islands in this
specially alone amounts to $3.50, 0OO, and beats
fruit growing all hollow. Over 5.0U.000
sponges are shipped thence every year.
They serve every purpose OF the dishcloth
In the Bahama Kitchen, and the way they
are used for other household purposes would
astonish the people who are accustomed to
regard them as a costly luxury Chair bot
toms arc often cushioned with Key Nesters,
and dainty cup sponge for cigar holder
is an ever welcome and unique present. A
sponge famine in the Bahamas wonld be
serious catastrope.