THE TURTLES OF SAND-KEY ISLAND. 211 



you may see the dazzling brilliance of the sun's glory, 

 and might imagine that you were gazing into a fur- 

 nace that bubbled with liquid seas of gold. On a 

 sudden, the orb disappears, as if it had plunged itself 

 into the sea, and the grey [veil which night draws 

 over the world ascends slowly from the east. 



The sea-breeze freshened at the same moment, 

 and the terns. Mother Gary's chickens, and halcyons, 

 took the place of the day birds. Slowly in the dis- 

 tance sailed by a frigate, or some other vessel. Half 

 an hour afterwards. Downing, who was posted by my 

 side behind a heap of sand which served us both 

 for a shelter and a hiding-place, pointed out to me, 

 swimming slowly towards the shore with only their 

 heads above water, some turtles, which had all the 

 indications of being large and of good quality. I 

 could just make out their broad back-shells on the 

 scarcely ruffled surface of the water which separated 

 the islet on which we stood from the sandy shore of 

 its neighbour, and as they advanced slowly and 

 with effort, the breeze carried towards us the sound 

 of their quickened respiration, which indicated either 

 uneasiness or terror. 



Suddenly the moon rose and lighted up the fan- 

 tastic scene. A turtle, having reached the shore, 

 was dragging its weight along the sand, for the fins 

 are better adapted for swimming than for waddling 

 upon the solid earth. At last, she reached the 

 desired spot and set herself laboriously to work, 



