Year: 1865

10 OOUOOOI6Os


A volume of "Travels and Researches
in Crete, +" by Captain SpRArr, of the Brit


sh navy, just published in London, con-
tains an interesting account of the sponge
tradson the east coast of the island. There
are few trades that require more courage
and careful training than that of the
sponge gathsrer. Thirty fathoms deep
lies the object of his search, and only BY
the assistance of great weight can he
descend so far. When down the water
presses on him at the rate of seventy five
pounds. to the square inch, and with that
great weight upon him he must keep his
respiration suspended or die. The whole
mode Of operation is 90 curious that we
copy the description of it:


The mode Of operation preparatory to
q dive is very peculiar and interesting:
the sketch in some degree represents this
also. The diver whose turn it is takes his
seat on the deck of the vessel, at either
the bow or stern, and, placing by bis side
q large flat slab of marble weighing about
twenty-five pounds, to which is attached
rope of the proper length and thickness
Zone and one-half inch), he then strips and
is left by his companions to prepare him
SELF This seems to consist in devoting q
certain time to clearing the passage of bis
lungs by expectoration, and highly inaat-
ing them afterwards, thus oxidizing his
blood very highly by repetition of deep
inspirations. The operation lasts five to
ten minutes or more, according to the
depth; and during it the operator is never
interfered with by his companions, and
seldom speaks or is spoken to; he is simply
watched by two of them, but at little
distance, and they never venture to urge
him or to distract him in any way during
the process.


1t seems to spectator as if the diver
were going through sort of mysterious
ceremony or incantation. When, from
some sensation known only to himself af-
ter these repeated long-drawn and heavy
inspirations, he deems the fitting moment
to have arrived, he seizes the slab of mar
BILE, and, after crossing himself and utter
ing prayer, plunges with it like return
ing dolphin into the sea and rapidly de-
scends. The stone is always held during
the descent directly in front of the head,
at arms length, and so as to offer as little
resistance as possible; and by varying its
inclination, it acts likewise as a rudder,
causing the descent to be more or less YER
teal, as desired by the diver. As soon as
he reaches the bottom, he places the stone
under bis arm to keep himself down, and
then walks about upon the rock, or crawls
under its ledges, stufing the sponges into
netted-bag, with hooped mouth, which
is strung round his neck to receive them;
but he holds firmly to the stone or rope all
the while, as his safeguard for returning
and for making the known signal at the
time he desires it.


Now let Us notice the proceedings of his
companions in the boat floating some
twenty or thirty fathoms above him, The
two men who were nearest to him previ-
ously to his making the dive, but who
systematically seem to place themselves 80
as to prevent him from conceiving the
idea of being impatiently watched by them
whilst undergoing the preparations, spring
to their feet as soon as he disappears, and
rush to the rope, which one of them then
holds in bis hand, veering it out or short
ening it in as the diver moves about upon
the bottom and as soon as the signal in
dicative of bis wish to return is telt, they
commence hauling up the rope with great
energy and earnestness, and in way cal
culated to ensure the greatest expedition
of ascent, since the overstay of few sec
onds may be point of life and death to
the diver.


The hauling up is thus effected: The
assistant who has hold of the rope, await
ing the signal, first reaches down with
both hands as low as he can, and there
grasping the rope, with a great bodily eff
tort, raises it up to nearly arms length
over his head the second assistant is then
prepared to make his grasp as low down
as he can reach, and does the same, and
so on the two alternately, and by fathom
or more at time and with great rapidity,
bring the anxious diver to the surface. A
heavy blow from bis nostrils, to expel the
water and exhausted air, indicates to his
comrades that he is conscious and breathes.
A word or two is then spoken by one of
his comrades to encourage him, if he
seems much distressed, as is often the
case and the hearing Of the voice is said
by them to be great support at the mo-
ment of their greatest state Of exhaustion.


A few seconds rest at the surface. and
then the diver returns into the boat to re-
cover, generally putting on an under gar !
ment or jacket to sssist the restoration of
the animal heat he has lost, and to pre-
vent the loss of more by the too rapid
evaporation Of the water from his body.
Such is the trying life of a Levantine
sponge-diver; and doubtless there are few