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THE TURTLERS. 



The Tortugas are a group of islands lying about eighty miles from 

 Key West, and the last of those that seem to defend the peninsula of 

 the Floridas. They consist of five or six extremely low uninhabitable 

 banks formed of shelly sand, and are resorted to principally by that 

 class of men called Wreckers and Turtlers. Between these islands are 

 deep channels, which, although extremely intricate, are well known to those 

 adventurers, as well as to the commanders of the revenue cutters, whose 

 duties call them to that dangerous coast. The great coral reef or wall 

 lies about eight miles from these inhospitable isles, in the direction of the 

 Gulf, and on it many an ignorant or careless navigator has suffered ship- 

 wreck. The whole ground around them is densely covered with corals, 

 sea-fans, and other productions of the deep, amid which crawl innumerable 

 testaceous animals, while shoals of curious and beautiful fishes fill the lim- 

 ped waters above them. Turtles of different species resort to these banks, 

 to deposit their eggs in the burning sand, and clouds of sea-fowl ar- 

 rive every spring for the same purpose. These are followed by persons 

 called " Eggers," who, when their cargoes are completed, sail to distant 

 markets, to exchange their ill-gotten ware for a portion of that gold, on 

 the acquisition of which all men seem bent. 



The " Marion" having occasion to visit the Tortugas, I gladly em- 

 braced the opportunity of seeing those celebrated islets. A few hours 

 before sunset the joyful cry of " land" announced our approach to them, 

 but as the breeze was fresh, and the pilot was well acquainted with all 

 the windings of the channels, we held on, and dropped anchor before 

 twilight. If you have never seen the sun setting in those latitudes, I 

 would recommend to you to make a voyage for the purpose, for I much 

 doubt, if, in any other portion of the world, the departure of the orb 

 of day is accompanied with such gorgeous appearances. Look at the 

 great red disk, increased to triple its ordinary dimensions ! Now it has 

 partially sunk beneath the distant line of waters, and with its still re- 

 maining half irradiates the whole heavens with a flood of golden light, 

 purpling the far off clouds that hover over the western horizon. A blaze 

 of refulgent glory streams through the portals of the west, and the masses 



