The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-02-09
TO SEEK SPoNGEs
 IN HAWAIIAN WATERS
United States Government Fish Com mission Believes They Can
 be Found.
Hawaiian Gazette.

Hawaiian Gazette.
 Relieving that there are sponges or 1 mercha ntable quality In the waters apoul | these islands. the last week or the stay 1 of the party representing the United States Fish Commission will be devoted | in part to an investigation or reports
 concerning their presence. Should there | be found sponges which will be nt Ioi
 market, these will add materially to tht | wealth of the islands. more. in fact, thaI | any other product of the fisheries.
 There is one State in the Union whicf now produces all the sponges whlcn ar' | brought to the market locally Along tnt
 coast of Florida the industry has beer | n,,ahed to its limit, until the anual sale: | of sponges amount to S6OO.000. The pro | duct sells for as high as $2. 50 pound which makes the business most pront' lable. There are sixty schooners m tht trade, and the business is the staple ol | many of the towns along the coast ol l the State. The fishermen have brongn' 1 the business to a high state or pertec, 1 ton, and they are able to make large | catches in season. , ... ter. the best specimens of the large bath | sponges being obtained from ntty IeeI 1 below the surface. They are located wltn a water glass and then picked With |, long pole carrying on Us end niaue like the letter s. which cuts the. spong. l loose with a twist. and 1t Is then brousnt to the surface if there Is luck ana II not and 1t gets away, 1t IS l2st iorCVer' The men become very expert in the pus- mess and they will carry 1t on during ! high winds, losing very Few or the sponges. .,,.i.. o+ the
 sponge. those which are generally touno aho,,f the inclosed waters being or a sort which are not of value. It Is the oplnlon of Mir. Cobb, who Is one Of the experts , of the Fish Commission on this matter, that good sponges will be tound on the reefs outside, ana that tin,, m tti,e' oe T tbIs industry will not be an elaborate trans action. there will be one Of the most profitable of sea product industries ln- augurated. .,.. .,,.,,,,,o-s oe inc party that high grade sponges nave heen found at Punaluu and other p0lnts on the Kau coast. Small specimens nay v
 been seen which are Of the tinest sfa9e i
 of the satin sponge. ana the ne Somnd a
 great supnIy of the valuable groWths'
 Should beds be found. these will De iur-
 ther cultivated and the building or tn'
 industry will go on as rapidly as poS-
 The Fish Commission steamer Albatross
 uIii rive here, according to the pres
 ent plans. about December l. ne silp
 will he used to make the deep-sea soutiu. .,io
 ings and dredgings. ana VII nectcd sped0 that
 there will be in the cargo Of the Alpa-
 tross to large shipment of ,.1 bl1ek ,r oans ahs
 frv This fish Is always planted Tn tne
 fail. and t..ere Is good reason to oemeve i W
 that the necessary arrangements Nr ~ir cobS oe
 r.furns to Washington. This hsh VII
 be recommended by Mir, Cobb t" re repiace ace
 the trout which were placed Tn tne a.o rlvo =
 ers several years ago. The trout were
 not a success, as there Is not sufhclent
 nold water for them to thrive The
 bass will live in any stream maIican being am
 digenous to almost all the Ameilca''
 streams. , .r,s esb In
 inc Waimea River on Kauai and the
 rivers on Hawaii. where 1t will De gwen
 a chance to develop. There Will be no
 sttempt made to bring any great nun
 Der efe of high-grade fish here for or. fresn ts,
 and salt water, for the reason that tno
 rivsrs rH1 are not long enough. Thus the sal
 n1ently clear water and distance rom
 Iha sea for spawning. The outlook IS
 that muet will be taken df 9bs fTGn @a,nand nfrf
 rotber than any fish brought here. The
 muiet here is said to be Of hign sne gfaa9, tban
 inc Florida mullet.