How Sponges Are Caught

A correspondent of a New Haven paper tells how tliey fish for sponges in the Bahamas: " When a vessel arrivés at the flshing ground it is anchored, and the men, in small boats, proceed to look for sponges in tbe water below. The water is a beautiful light bine color, and so clear that a sixpence can be seen on the white, sandy bottom in thirty-flve to forty feet of water. Of course when there is no ind, and the surface of the water is stil], the sponges are easily seen; but when a gentle breeze is blowing, a " sea-glass " is used. A sea-glass consista of a square pine box twenty mcbes in length, a pane of glass about ten by twelve inches, placed in one end, water-tight, To use it the glass end is thrust into the water, and the face of the operator is placed close to the other. By this meana, the wave motion o'f the water is overeóme and the bot;om readily seen. "Sponges, when seen on the bottom attached to rocks. look like a big black bunch. They are pulled off their natural beds by forked hooks, which are run down under the sponge, which is 'ormed like the head of a cabbage, and ;he roots pulled from the rocks. When wought to the surface it is a niass of soft, glulinous stuff, which to the touch 'eels like soap or thick jelly. When a )oat-load is obtained they are taken to the shoro, where a crawl Is built in which they are placed to die, bo that ,he jelly substance will readily separate from the flrm libre of the sponge. These crawls are built by sticking jieces of brush into the sand out of ihe water, large enough to contain the catch. It takes from live to six days lor the insect to die, when the sponges are beaten with small sticks, and the )lack, glutinous substance falls off, eaving the sponge, after a thorough washing ready for market. To the fishermen, generally, the occupatiou is not a lucrativo one. I am told the wages will hardly average three dollars er week besides board. There is but ittle diving for sponges except for a )articularly fine bunch which cannot ie gotten by the hook. The sponge is 'ormed by small insects, and is the hive n which they live. Different qualities are found growing side by side, al■hough in certain regions the flner and more valuable sponges are found."