A VISIT TO SOME STRANGE PLACES. 115 



able to get sufficient fuel for our purpose. When tliey 

 pitched the wood off the rocks into the harbour, it sank 

 immediately, giving them a great deal of trouble to fish 

 it up again. Neither could they raft it as intended, 

 but were compelled to load it into the boats and make 

 Beveral journeys to and fro before all they had cut was 

 shipped. Altogether, I was glad that the wooding had 

 not fallen to my share. On board the ship fishing had 

 been going on steadily most of the day by a few hands 

 told off for the purpose. The result of their sport was 

 splendid, over two hundred-weight of fine fish of various 

 sorts, but all eatable, having been gathered in. 



We lay snugly anchored all night, keeping a bright 

 look-out for any unwelcome visitors either from land or 

 sea, for the natives are not to be trusted, neither do the 

 Arab mongrels who cruise about those waters in their 

 dhows bear any too good a reputation. We saw none, 

 however, and at daylight we weighed and towed the ship 

 out to sea with the boats, there being no wind. While 

 busy at this uninteresting pastime, one of the boats 

 slipped away, returning presently with a fine turtle, which 

 they had surprised during his morning's nap. One of 

 the amphibious Portuguese slipped over the boat's side as 

 she neared the sleeping Spharga, and, diving deep, came 

 up underneath him, seizing with crossed hands the two 

 hind flippers, and, with a sudden, dexterous twist, turned 

 the astonished creature over on his back. Thus rendered 

 helpless, the turtle lay on the surface feebly waving his 

 flippers, while his captor, gently treading water, held 

 him in that position till the boat reached the pair and 

 took them on board. It was a clever feat, neatly exe- 

 cuted, as unlike the clumsy efforts I had before seen made 

 with the same object as anything could possibly be. 



