THE GREEN TURTLE. if 



or more deep. If the animal sees that he is dis- 

 covered, he immediately attempts to escape : the 

 men pursue and endeavour to keep him in sight ; 

 and, in the chase, generally so far tire him, that in 

 the course of half an hour, he sinks to the bottom, 

 which affords an opportunity to strike him with the 

 spear through the shell. The head of the spear, 

 which now slips off and is left in his body, is fast- 

 ened with a string to the pole ; and, by means of 

 this apparatus, they are enabled to pursue him, if 

 he should not be sufficiently spent without : if, 

 however, that is the case, he tamely submits to be 

 taken into the boat, or hauled ashore. — There are 

 men who, by diving to the bottom, will get on the 

 backs of the animals ; and then, by pressing them 

 down behind, and raising their fore part, bring 

 them by force to the surface of the water, where 

 some person is in waiting to slip a noose round 

 their neck. 



They very seldom go ashore, except for the pur- 

 pose of depositing their eggs in the sand : this is 

 done in April. They dig a hole, at high-water 

 mark, about two feet deep, and drop into it above 

 a hundred eggs ; and at this time they are so intent 

 on the operation that they do not notice any one 

 that approaches them, and they will even drop the 

 eggs into a hat if held under them. If, however, 

 they are disturbed before the commencement of 

 their business, they always forsake the place. They 

 lay their eggs at three, and sometimes four different 

 times, fourteen days asunder, so that the young are 

 hatched and come forth also at different times. 



vol. in. C 



