38 TESTUDINATA. CHELONIAD^. 



from one hundred and fifty to two hundred eggs ; 

 cover them up, leave them to the sun to hatch, 

 and then waddle again towards the sea. Two 

 stout hands are, meanwhile, on the look out, 

 watching the movements of the mifortunate Tur- 

 tle ; and running up to her after the completion 

 of her task, one seizes a fore-flipper, and dex- 

 terously shoves it under her belly, to serve as 

 a purchase, whilst the other, avoiding a stroke 

 which might lame him, casts the Turtle over on 

 her back, where she lies helpless. From fifteen 

 to thirty are thus turned in a night ; and six 

 hundred had been so captured in the season of 

 1834. In the bays, where the surf, or hea\y 

 rollers, prevent the boats being beached to take 

 on board the Turtle when caught, they are hauled 

 out to them by ropes. 



" No ships' crews are now allowed to turn 

 Turtle, which is converted into a government 

 monopoly ; and two pounds ten shillings is the 

 price for each. Strange to say, from the time 

 that the young Turtle, the size of a dollar, are 

 observed scuttling down to the water, they are 

 never seen again here until they are four or five 

 hundred pounds weight ; and how long they take 

 to atta,in this great size, and where they spend 

 the intermediate time, is as yet a mystery. I was 

 surprised to hear that Turtle are kept in the ponds 

 for a year and upwards, without a morsel of food 

 of any kind. They sometimes deposit their eggs 

 in the sand, on the sides of the ponds ; and in 

 due time the little animals are allowed to make 

 their escape to the sea. One old female, called 

 * Nelson,' because one of her flippers had been 

 carried off by a shark, was kept, out of respect. 



