The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-10-14
SPONGE FISHING.
DETAILS CONCERNING AN INDUS
TRY IN THE BAHAMAS.
The Method of Gathering the
Sponges and Preparing Them
for Market and the Pro-
fits of the Work.

United States consulate at Nassau, in the
Bahama Islands, in respone to the direc-
ton of the State Department. has fur
nished an interesting paper on the sponge
trade of the Bahamas, in which tho
value of the industry and the methods
of catching the sponges are given.
The vessels employed in the trade are
small, varying from five to twenty-five
tons, sloop or schooner rugged, and are
built in the local shipyards. The con-
struction and repair of these vessels con-
stitute an important industry in itself.
They have small cabins for sleeping pur-
poses. The cooking is done on deck.
About 500 of these vessels are engaged
IN gathering sponges. The number of
persons gathering sponges in the Ba-
hamas, handling them and preparing
them in various stages for market, is
from 5000 to 5000, all of whom,
except the shipowners, brok.
ers aud shippers, are black
people. Hands employed in clipping,
washing, packing and preparing finally
for shipment abroad get from so to rs
cents per day of ten hours. The amount
earned by the men who 60 fishing de.
pends entirely on the number of sponges
obtained. The owner of the vessel fits
her out at his own expense, and the
profits of the voyage are divided up in
shares among the owner, the master,
and the men. They are never hired by
the month, nor do they ever get specified
wages. The most that can be said IS
that the men make a tolerable living,
and the sponge fisherman who earns over
three hundred year is the exception.
The method of gathering sponges is
by means of iron hooks attached to long
poles. By using a water glass the fisher.
man can readily discover the sponges at
the bottom, and then by the pole and
hook can bring up those he may select,
leaving the smaller ones untouched.
Some sponges adhere firmly to the bed
of the sea, while others are not attached
at all, these latter being known as
"rollers." About ten years ago an at
tempt was made to introduce dredges,
but it was found that their use was likely
to ruin the beds, because in passing over
the bottom they dislodged and brought
up not only the good sponges, but the
young and unstable ones as we'll, killing
the spawn and working great mischief.
Such an outcry was raised against dredg-
ing that an act was past forbldding it.
When brought to the vessel thesponges
are at once spread upon the deck and
left exposed to the sun for several days,
during which time the animal matter that
covers the sponge gradually dies. This
is black, gelatinous substance of very
low order of marine life, which, during
the process of decay, enits a most OBJ.
iectionable odor. The vessels visit what
is called the kraal once a week to land
the load from the deck. The kraal is an
inclosed pen, fenced in by sticks OF wood
so as to allow free circulation Of water
through it, usually built in sheltered
and shallow bay or cove on one OF the
bays near by. The sponges are placed in
the kraal aud left to be soaked and
washed by the action of the water from
four to six days, when they are taken
out and beaten with sticks until the de-
cayed covering is entirely removed.
Having been subjected to this course of
exposure, soaking, beating and washing,
the sponges are quite clean and are
taken on board the vessel, packed in the
hold, conveyed to Nassau, and in this
condition are sold to the local market.
OF the larger sponges a catch of 5000,
or of the smaller ones 1890, would be
considered fair lot. Occasionally a
cargo of from $4,000 to $1,000 large
sponges has been brought in, but this
success is exceptional.
The principal varieties gathered in the
Bahamas are as follows: Boat, grass,
glove, hardhead, reef (white and dark,
velvet, (abaco and cay, sheep wool and
yellow, of which the most valuable is
sheep wool. The total export in lsso
reached over 100000 pounds, valued ut
S3O6,S96. The crop of that year was
about the average, being really the most
valuable one in many years. Or that
crop there were shipped to the United
States, 70S,O00, valued at 1885, ooo.
Bahama sponges are not considered very
good, but a ready market is found for
all that can be obtained and at con-
stautly improving prices. There are no
indications of any failure of the supply.
Phila1eZr,hin Ls30er.