The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-06-05

s'Then there is the 'brin coral more
massive, and generally found in small er
beds. Also the pepper coral, and va
riety which, when dead, is so light that
it floats on the surface of the water,
although it seems to be composed OF the
same substance as the other kinds.
"We speak of coral as dead when the
living creature-a mere little ]elly-like
dot-whch produces it has perished,
leaving tiny hole, like pore IN the
coral stone, where it lived.
"But the most valuable Of all varle-
ties, and hence the most eagerly sought
for, is the rcd coral, or roe coral, ana
naturally. as with all other precious
things, this is the arce,t and most diff
ticult to obtain. The depth at which it
is found at the Markeys varies from
twenty to thirty-fve feet, and it is rare
to find specimen there much larger
than this one of yours-about the size OF
a mans two hands placed togeter.
"Ah. it's pretty sight to look down
through the clear water, and see tine
hea of coralium rubrum directly be-
meath your boat! When the sun is well
up in the sky, you can see the bottom
quite plainly in thirty feet of water over
the side of the boat.
son the second day we were there, l
dropped down in thirty feet and had no
trouble, though the pressure affected my
head little. But an adventure which
befeI me few days later, spoiled my
courage, and nearly cost me my life
sl had gone down in about thirty feet
of water over q bend of branch coral,
with an iron bar in my hand, intending
to break and pry out few branches,
then rise for breath and afterward to 60
down and fetch them up, one at time,
or if they were too heavy, haul them up
with grapnel line.
"Attached to ring in the end of our
bars and boat-hooks were small lines
h tched to rings in the boat above, so
that we could cast off these tools at will,
and yet recover them with ease.
"The coral grove on which landed
was veritable thicket of candelabra-
like branches. Having the iron bar in
nv hand, came down upon it with such
force that one OF my feet was thrust
down into crevice among the branches.
and stuck fast. thought that / could
pull it out and, bracing myself with the
other foot, attempted to do so. To my
horror, found that was hard and fast
My leg had gone down below my knee,
into the crevice among the stiff coral,
and, do my best, I could not free it.
"Of course, one has but few seconds
in which to work while holding ones
breath under water. 1t was a rough,
ugly place, too, and I could not place
my leg at the same angle it had des-
cended into the chink.
"After wrench or two, seized the
crowbar with both hands and begin to
prod and pry at the masses Of coral.
But it was green aud tough. I broke
away several pieces, then tried to wrench
out my leg again; but my foot, in its
laced boot, stuck fast. Three or four
times I exerted all my strength, desper-
ately, then snatched the bar again.
"But by this time was nearly suffo-
eating for want of air. My excitement
and fear added to my need of breath.
suppose. Still I struck wildly at the
coral with the bar, and several times hit
my own leg. 1t was an awful sensation,
to be thus caught aud held down under
water! Still tried to keep my breath
in, and once more wrenched at my foot
foot to get it clear.
"Then my breath went, in spite OF
myself. I looked up and saw the boat
over me, and Charles Bannost's face,
gazing down. I tried to CRY, out
TO him, but choked, struggled and i'm
mediately lost all sense of what was oc-
curing.
"Bsnnost had sat looking down at
me. He could sec me, though not very
distinctly; and he thought, all the time
that was Plying and twisting at my
leg, that I was working OF coral. Soon
he began to realize that was remaining
down longer than usual, but did not
mistrust that anything was wrong with
me till, suddenly, whole string of
bubbles rose to the surface Of the water.
He knew that these bubbles must have
been made by air from my lungs, and at
once concluded that I was in danger.
''He instantly dived, and alighting on
the coral within few feet Of where l
lay, still struggling, he was not long dis
covering what the trouble was. But it
was task that still required some time
to break away the coral sufficiently to
eytricate me from my subaqueous
hobble
"By this time I was too full of water
to rise to the surface without help;
and he was compelled to come up for
breath, and then dive again, with line,
before he could haul me uD.
"By this time l was about as near
drowned as any person can we'll be and
be revived, but Charles got me into the
boat and then rolled me on thwsrt.
worked my arms to start my breath, and
slapped and chafed me, till came
round. He declared that it was fully
ten minutes before 1 was breathing
regularly again. I afterward found that
my leg and foot had been quite badly
bruised by the coral and the bar.
1.-THE day before we left the Markeys,
to 90 back to Key West, I had still
another adventure, which was far
from pleasant aud which left even worse
scars than the first. We saw sharks row.
ing about the coral beds quite frequently,
and occasionally the shadow of .one
would pass US, while down on the sea-
bottom. Yet they never molested us
and we returned the compliment by
letting them severely alone.
"But there was ten-times worse fish
there and quite plenty, too, which they
called stingaree-a great, fiat, disgust
ing creature, from two to three feet in
breadth, and six or seven in length.
They have two powerful side fms and
L II.