The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1889-12-07
SPONGE FISHING.
APECULIAR INDUSTRY IN THE
GULF OF MENICO
Where the Sponges are Found-Hov
They are Caught and Their
Preparation for the
Market

i n0ltu 4oI us 'l'diu c>S' DuI al best our I'M
aided eyes cannot, with any distinctness.
zee objects further than six or eight feet
/ below the surface. The water-telcscopc
stherefore employed. Hyatt, in his ac-
count Of the commercial sponges, de
rribes this as tube several feet lone
similar TO that used in Norway: but the
unly form have ever seen in Florida
md which is known as a "water- glass, -
cOnsits simply of an ordinary wooden
pail, into the bottom of which has been
vet pane of strong glass. Sinking the
lower half of this bucket below the water
and pushing his face down into it. while
the bail is showed over his head to hold
the bucket i'll place, the hooker shuts out
the reflection of the light from the sur
face of the water and can look down into
the more or less crystal depths as far as
the light penetrateS.
In this posture, bent over the rail of
the canted yawl, his great pole resting
across the gunwales in readiness. and his
head half concealed in the swimming water
glass. the sponge-hOoker is slowly moved
over the waves by his intelligent sculler.
while he scrutinizes the bottom for the
iconspicuous objects of his search.
Nearly a dozen different kinds of
POnges are named by the Gulf fishermen.
The valuable ones are the 'sheep' s-wool,"
"boat, yellow" 'grass" and "glove"
pongcS, but the last two are not of much
Ecount. 'Iog@crhead, Ginger"
gonges. and the like, are useless. Ex- /
pert fishermen can tell all these apart as
lar under water as they can see them at
ll' though in six or seven fathoms the
very largest-perhaps as big as a peck /,
neasure-looks very small, Just mere
purple spots on the bottom. Unless the
Ester is clear, however. even the aid of
he water-glass will not enable a man TO
&c the large, deep-growing sponges, and
locality is often reported "played out, >"
ecauSe it is so muddy nobody can tell
that is there. This is not common OBJ
Facle, however; in fact, sponges would
lOt grow where the water was often
piled.
Perceiying a sponge on the bottom
pu or 7 would probably pass it over as
stone or a bit of coral. or not notice it
aIl--the hooker signs to his mate.
Fho, by dexterous manipulation holds
be boat stationary, while the hooker
Is his long pole slide quickly TO the
atOm. Guiding it with one hand and
BOULDER only, and looking through the
'nter glass, he places the hook under
path the sponge, taking care not to in ,
pc the body. and gives it violent jerk
1t breaks, it floats up at once and is
|cked up; but sometimes several twist
b Jerks are required to detach the tough
lypore, and new and then one will hold
+ so unexpectedly that the gunwale of
+ boa, viii he dragged under, and the {
% Conclls find themselves pitched head =
Einto thc water. :
The hardest Of ali species to detach is n
+ ''>hecp'5 wool" and the "yellow"
+ easiest.
When . sponge comes up bearing d,
Pad 0: good size, this is broken off q.
+ thrown back. II sinks and survives, +,
+ Is said not to become affixed to a Il
|ek, bal to drift about on the bottom ,
|'h the motion Of any storm or current ~
b may sir it. 1t increases in size, but q
Pug elUdcS the grasp of the clumsy O.
'ks that try to pick it up. These out y
Is are called 'Rolling Johns" by the p
kermen.
Al the end of week or fortnight a Ia
NOoner collects her boats and carries 7
/ spOils to the shore. where has been ~
| up an arrangement for preparing the ST
I sponges for market. This consists n,
a circular paiisade of poles bound to- r,
F0er by withes into pretty close pen :,
\ ut tweuty-feet in diameter, and stand Il
In some protected shoal where at b,
Fn tide the water may be ten or a 70
zen feet deep. Such pen is called