CHAPTER IV.

SPONGE FISHERIES OF THE MEDITERRANEAN.

Sponge trade of the Ottoman Islands-Market prices of sponge-Number of boats employed-Fishing grounds on the coast of Candia, Syria, and Barbary-Statistics of the fisheries-Operation of diving-Diving-bells and dresses now used-Imports of sponge from the Mediterranean-Total imports of sponge into the United Kingdom-French trade in spongeSilicious sponges.

The Sponge Trade of the Ottoman Islands. It appears that, with few exceptions, in which the owners of sponge boats have capital, all the funds required for the equipment of these boats are furnished by native money-lenders, and that important foreign capital, especially British and French, has latterly been invested in diving apparatus since the introduction of this new mode of fishing for sponges in these islands. It is noticeable, too, that a large French firm, whose operations in this trade were on a very extensive scale, have of late somewhat reduced their trade, while on the other hand the use of British-made machines continues to increase, and it is mentioned that there is a decided preference on the part of the natives to work with British rather than with French diving apparatus. The whole of the machines now employed in the Ottoman islands is upwards of 100. Owing to the depressed prices

at which sponges have been sold during the last few years, and which have prevented divers from paying their debts to the native money-lenders, the latter, although in possession of bills for important sums of money, have not a sufficiency of cash to equip all the boats suitable for the sponge fishery. Notwithstanding the adverse circumstances, the quantity of sponges obtained of late has exceeded that of former years, in consequence of the more abundant crops and improved diving apparatus. At the island of Halki, for instance, where 10 years ago the produce in sponges was hardly £10,000 a year, it amounts now, with the same number of boats, but working with diving apparatus, to nearly £20,000, thus showing a very important augmentation. It is mentioned, however, that the produce in sponges seems more than sufficient for the demand; and if all the available boats in these islands could procure the required money to enable them to go fishing, the extra quantities of sponges which would then encumber the markets would lower the price of the article to rates which would prove ruinous to the divers.

The average market prices of sponges for the year 1872 are shown per oke (equal to 23 lbs.) in the subjoined table:

Bengazi and Mandruha sponges are not sold by weight,

but by piece; for the sake of comparison, however, their prices are proportioned to others. Bengazi fine sponges are exceedingly scarce.

The prices quoted in the foregoing, although higher than those of the two preceding years, are still rather low, and Hellenic sponge boats, which used to bring and sell their crops in the markets of the Sporades, now abstain from doing so. In fact, owing to the reduced prices offered in these islands for sponges, several of the most enterprising native sponge-dealers decided, a few years ago, instead of selling their sponges in the local market, to convey them to Europe, and retail them on their own account from place to place. There is not a single country-even Sweden and Norway-which these sponge-dealers have not visited, in order to sell their goods. A few of them journeyed even as far as America; while some settled in London, where their countrymen ultimately bought the quantities which they had not been able to dispose of in their peregrinations. These attempts have been so far successful. It is stated that the value of sponges sent annually to Great Britain is no less than £70,000.

The principal article of export from the Ottoman Archipelago is sponge. The number of boats employed varies, ranging from 400 to 600 in the year. The latter number may be said to be thus distributed, as belonging to the different islands :

As there are seven men to each boat, the number of men engaged is about 4200.

The sponge fishing grounds are on the coast of Candia, Syria, and Barbary. The average depth at which sponges are found is 30 fathoms; those of an inferior quality are found at lesser depths. The sponge fishing-boats in the island of Calmynos amount to nearly 260, employing 1600 men and boys. These boats, called "scafi," are on an average six tons each, carrying from six to seven, and sometimes eight men, of whom two are rowers.

The proceeds from the sponge obtained are divided into shares, the divers receiving a whole share, and the rowers two-thirds of a share. A good diver will make from eight to ten dives during the day.

The sponge is covered with a thin, tough, black cuticle, inside of which there is a white liquid like milk, and of the same consistence. The sponge in this state presents a very different appearance to what it does when freed from these extraneous substances. The annual value of the sponges taken by the Calymniotes amounts to about £2500. The finest are sent to Great Britain; the common and coarser to France, Austria, and Constantinople.

The sponge fishery of Turkey has made a great advance by the introduction of diving apparatus. The quality fished in the Sea of Marmora is of second-rate quality, and is shipped to England, and a part to Trieste and Germany.

The following shows the value in round numbers of the sponges sold at Rhodes in 1861:-Fine, £41,000; common, £63,000; coarse, £7000; total, £111,000. Part of the sponges fished in the autumn of 1860 were sold in the early part of 1861, at 450 piastres per oke for fine, 120 for common, and 60 for coarse, which are the highest ever reached for the fine and coarse qualities. Towards the