CHAPTER VIII 



THE LOGGERHEAD TURTLE 



ONE of the favourite objects of the harpoon in those waters is 

 the loggerhead turtle, and as the procedure differs in some 

 respects from that followed in the pursuit of the unprofitable 

 ray, I will attempt to give some account of the way in which 

 amateurs spear their turtle. If you must catch your turtle 

 before you cook him, you must as surely find one before you 

 can spear him. Turtles are in the habit of coming up for a 

 breather somewhere about slack water, and at such times they 

 may be seen basking lazily at the surface. 



A small and sharp harpoon is necessary to penetrate the 

 turtle's shell, and it is important to make this change in your 

 equipment if you go from rays to turtles. All being ready, 

 your guide paddles you as quietly as possible into the pass, and 

 you must get in the way of standing motionless in the bow in 



in 



