192 SrORT IN KOETH AMERICA. 



dishes the price of which forbid them to become 

 popular. Nevertheless, ancient authors, such as 

 Diodorus Siculus, Pliny, and Strabo, make mention 

 of turtle as a food very commonly enjoyed by the 

 inferior classes of society in their time ; and even in 

 our own days, throughout the whole of the West 

 Indies, and along the coasts of North and South 

 America, in the East Indies, Batavia, China, Japan, 

 and even in England, the meat of the turtle justly 

 enjoys the reputation of being a savoury and deli- 

 cate meal, and is indeed one of the principal national 

 dishes of the United Kingdom. 



Great Britain is the only country in Europe 

 where the turtle is appreciated as it should be. 

 The importations to Liverpool, Southampton, and 

 London amount commonly to about one hundred 

 and thirty tons. To keep the turtle alive through 

 long voyages, they are placed in barrels set upright ; 

 but many captains are less careful of their freight. 

 They content themselves with turning them on their 

 backs, and watering them twice a day with sea- 

 water. On their arrival, they are stored in reser- 

 voirs, and fed up for use. It w^as Lord Anson who 

 brought home the first turtle that was eaten in 

 London, in the year 1752. The price of turtle 

 varies from one shilling to three shillings per pound, 



it is a creature that maintains a firm hold of life. I have seen one at 

 Key West, the head of which had been cut off, but which ceyertheless 

 gave indications of suffering. 



