308 EXCURSIONS IN NEIGHBOURHOOD OF EGA. CuapP. XL 
extremity of the oval-shaped pool, holding it when they had done so by 
the perpendicular rods fixed at each end; its breadth was about equal 
to the depth of the water, its shotted side therefore rested on the 
bottom, whilst the floats buoyed it up on the surface, so that the whole, 
when the ends were brought together, would form a complete trap. 
The rest of the party then spread themselves around the 
swamp at the opposite end of the pool, and began to 
beat, with stout poles, the thick tufts of Matupa, in order 
to drive the turtles towards the middle. ‘This was 
continued for an hour or more, the beaters gradually 
drawing nearer to each other, and driving the hosts of 
animals before them; the number of little snouts con- 
stantly popping above the surface of the water showing 
that all was going on well. When they neared the net, 
the men moved more quickly, shouting and beating 
with great vigour. The ends of the net were then seized 
by several strong hands and dragged suddenly forward, 
bringing them at the same time together, so as to enclose 
all the booty in a circle. Every man now leapt into the 
inclosure, the boats were brought up, and the turtles 
easily captured by the hand and tossed into them. I 
jumped in along with the rest, although I had just before 
made the discovery that the pool abounded in ugly, red, 
four-angled leeches, having seen several of these delect- 
able animals, which sometimes fasten on the legs of 
fishermen, although they did not, on this day, trouble us, 
working their way through cracks in the bottom of our 
montaria. Cardozo, who remained with the boats, 
could not turn the animals on their backs fast enough, 
so that a great many clambered out and got free again. 
However, three boat-loads, or about eighty, were secured 
in about twenty minutes. They were then taken ashore, 
and each one secured by the men tying the legs with 
thongs of bast. 
When the canoes had been twice filled we desisted, 
after a very hard day’s work. Nearly all the animals 
were young ones, chiefly, according to the statement of 
Pedro, from three to ten years of age: they varied from 
six to eighteen inches in length, and were very fat. 
Cardozo and I lived almost exclusively on them for 
several months afterwards. Roasted in the shell they 
form a most appetising dish. ‘These younger turtles 
never migrate with their elders on the sinking of the 
waters, but remain in the tepid pools, fattening on fallen 
fruits, and, according to the natives, on the fine nutritious mud. We 
captured a few full-grown mother-turtles, which were known at once by 
the horny skin of their breast-plates being worn, telling of their having 
crawled on the sands to lay eggs the previous year. They had 
evidently made a mistake in not leaving the pool at the proper time, 
for they were full of eggs, which, we were told, they would, before the 



Arrow used in 
turtle shooting, 
