Year: 1865

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Captain Spratt, of the royal vessel Spit.
tre, wh0 proceeded some time since to
the Isle Of Crete to complete the surveys
commenced under the direction of Cap
tain Graves. has just published an enter.
taining volume Of his experience. The
east coast Of Crete Is noted for its 6se
spopges, and there are few trades that re-
Quie more courage and careful training
than that Of the sponge gatherer. Thirty
fathOms deep lies the object Of his search,
and only by the assistance Of . pow, rful
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 bO must keep BIS ySWpiFa4ion s6Spen:
ded or die The hole mode Of operation
is thus described in Captain Spatt's great
work:


The mode Of operation preparatory to
dive is very peculiar and interesting -
The diver whose turn II is takes his seat
on the deck Of the vessel. at either the
bow or stern. and placed by his eide is .
large fat slab OF marble weighing about
twenty. five pounds, 20 which is attach ed
\ rope Of the proper length and thickness;
he then strips, and il left by his compan-
ions to prepare himself. This seems to
consist in devoting . certain time to clear.
ing the passage OF his lungs by cxpector.
alton and highly initiating them afterwards
thus, xydizing his blood very highly
by repetition Of deep inspirations. The
operation lasts for five or ten minutes or
more, according to the depth; and during
it the operator is never interfered with by
his companions and seldom speaks or IL
spoken to; he is simply watched by two
er venture to urge him or TO distran him
any way during the process. 1t seems to
= spectator IS Il the diver was going
through sort Of mysterious ceremony or
incAntation.


WHEN, from some sensation, known
only to himself, after these repeated long
drawn and%heavy inspirations, he deems
the fitting moment to have arrived, seiEes
the slab Of marble, and. after crossing
himself and uttering a PRAYER, plunges
with it like returning dolphin into the
sea and rapidly descends. The stone is
always held duri & the descent in front Oi
the head at arms length, and SO as to Of
fer as little resistance as possible; and by
varying its inclination it acts likewise q,
a rudder, causing the descent to be NOR,
or less vertical as desired by the diver -
AS soon as he reaches the bottom he place.
the stone under his arm to keep himsel
down, and then walks about upon tn,
rock, or crawls under its ledges, stufint


the Sponges into netted bag with HOOP
ed mouth, which is strung round his necl
to receive them; but he holds firmly tC
The stone or rope all the while as his safe
guard for returning and for making the
known signal at the time he desires it.


"Now let US notice the proceedings o
his companions in the boat floating some
twenty or thirty fathOms above him.
The two men who were nearest to him
previous to his making the dive, but who
Systematically seem To place themselves
so as to prevent him from conceiving the
idea Of being impatiently watched by
them while under going the preparations,
spring to their feet rs soon as he disap.
pears, and rush to the rope, which one Of
them holds in his hand, veering out or
shortening it as the diver moves up or
down on the bottom and as soon as the
signal indicative Of his wish to return is
felt, they commence hauling up the rope
with great energy and earntstness. and in
II way calculated to insure the greatest ex.
pedtion oil ascent, since the oversiay Of
a few seconds may be point Of life or
death to the diver.


"The hauling up is thus effected: The
assistant, who has hold of the rope, with
great bodily effort 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 alter.
nately, and, by a fathom or more at
time, and with great rapidity, bring the
anxious diver to the surface. A heavy
blow from his nostrilS, to expel the water
and exhausted air, indicates to his COM
paniOns that he is conscious and breathes.
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