]80 THE INHABITANTS OE THE SEA. 



saw three of them rising out of the water, and slowly creeping 

 on shore, like black masses. We immediately ran up to the 

 first, but our impatience caused it to drop immediately again 

 into the sea, where it escaped our pursuit. The second, which 

 had already advanced too far, was unable to retreat ; we turned 

 it on its back. In this way we caught about fifty turtles, some 

 of which weighed five hundred pounds. Next morning, at ten, 

 the boat came to fetch the produce of our nocturnal sport. 

 This work occupied us the whole day, and in the evening the 

 superfluous turtles were restored to the sea. If suffered to 

 remain a long time on their back, their eyes become blood- 

 red, and start out of their sockets. We found several on 

 the strand that had been allowed to perish in this position, a 

 cruel negligence, of which thoughtless sailors are but too often 

 guilty." 



In the sea, also, the turtles are pursued by man. In the clear 

 West Indian waters, where they are frequently seen at great 

 depths, feeding on the sea-grass meadows, divers plunge after 

 them and raise them to the surface. Sometimes they are har- 

 pooned, or even caught sleeping on the waters. 



The ancient Eomans, who spent such extravagant sums upon 

 dishes repugnant to our taste, seem to have had but little relish for 

 turtle flesh, which otherwise the conquerors of the world might 

 easily have obtained from the Eed Sea; for though we read that 

 Vitellius feasted upon the brains of pheasants, and the tongues 

 of nightingales, it is nowhere mentioned, that he ever, like the 

 Lord Mayor of London, set seven hundred tureens of turtle 

 soup before his guests. 



On the other hand, they made a very extensive use of tortoise- 

 shell, the produce of the Hawk's-bill turtle (Tes- 

 tudo vmbricata) a native both of the American 

 and Asiatic seas, and sometimes, but more rarely, 

 met with in the Mediterranean. The flesh 

 of the animal is not held in any estimation as a 

 food, but the plates of the shell being thicker, 

 stronger, and cleaner than those of any other- 

 Hawk's-biii Turtle. S p ec i eSj ren( j er ft of great importance as an article 

 cf trade. 



" Carvilius Pollio," says Pliny, " a man of great invention in 



