246 CONFESSIONS OF A BEACHCOMBER 



Groping along the bottom, pushing his way against an 

 impetuous current, he was almost knocked down by a 

 move-on sort of shove. Instinctively his hand clutched the 

 life-line, when he was again pushed disrespectfully, and 

 in the greenish light saw that a monstrous turtle was 

 using him as the afflicted Scotch were said to use the 

 stones set up by the humane and sympathetic Duke of 

 Argyle, and without so much as invoking a blessing. 



A "KUMMAORIE" 



Having caught their turtle and brought it ashore, and 

 having seen the extent to which the tail of the sucker 

 (which has been faithful to its host to the death) has been 

 cut by the line, and having decided that it will do one time 

 more and put it back in the water tethered, or " that fella 

 no good now," and cast it callously on the sand, to writhe 

 about until dead, the blacks proceed to the cooking. 

 Possibly the camp decides upon a " Kummaorie." 



A big fire is made and a dozen or so smooth stones 

 about the size of saucers put on the embers to get red hot. 

 In the meantime the turtle is killed, the head, neck, and 

 sometimes the two fore flippers, removed. The entrails 

 and stomach are taken out, and after being roughly 

 cleansed are put back into the cavity. A hole is scraped 

 in the sand, and the turtle stuck tail-first into it, the sand 

 being banked up so that it remains upright. Then the red- 

 hot stones are lifted with sticks and dropped into the 

 turtle, hissing and spluttering, and stirred about with a 

 stout stick. Another hole has been scooped in the sand 

 and paved with stones, upon which a roaring fire is made. 

 When the stones are hot through, the fire is scraped away, 

 and the steaming turtle eased down from its upright 

 position, care being taken not to allow any of the gravy 

 to waste, and carefully deposited on the hot stones 

 carapace down. Quickly, so that none of the " smell " 

 escapes, the whole is covered with leaves native banana, 

 native ginger, palms, etc., and over all is raised a mound 



