GREEX TURTLE. 83 



other neighbouring islands, where, in the evening, 

 especially in moonlight nights, they watch the 

 going and returning of the Turtle to and from 

 their nests, at which time they turn them on their 

 backs, where they leave them, and proceed on, 

 turning all they meet ; for they cannot get on 

 their feet again when once turned. Some are so 

 large that it requires three men to turn one of 

 them. The way by which the Turtle are most 

 commonly taken at the Bahama islands is by 

 striking them with a small iron peg of two 

 inches long, put in a socket, at the end of a staff 

 of twelve feet long. Two men usually set out for 

 this work in a little light boat or canoe, one to row 

 and gently steer the boat, while the other stands 

 at the head of it with his striker. The Turtle are 

 sometimes discovered by their swimming with their 

 head and back out of the water, but they are of- 

 tenest discovered lying at the bottom, a fathom or 

 more deep. If a Turtle perceives he is discovered, 

 he starts up to make his escape, the men in the 

 boat pursuing him, endeavour to keep sight of 

 him, which they often lose, and recover again by 

 the Turtle putting his nose out of the water to 

 breathe : thus they pursue him, one paddling or 

 rowing, while the other stands ready with his 

 striker. It is sometimes half an hour before he is 

 tired : then he sinks at once to the bottom, which 

 gives them an opportunity of striking him, which 

 is by piercing him with an iron peg, which slips 

 out of the socket, but is fastened with a string to 

 the pole. If he is spent and tired by being long 



