70 



BAWL 



The most important is Bawi or Turtle Island, 

 a low, dry bank, slightly undulated, with a beau- 

 tifully verdant undergrowth, fringed and tasseled 

 with the tallest cocoas. The Chelonian (K'hasa) 

 of the East coast, eaten in April and May, by no 

 means equals that of Fernando Po or of Ascen- 

 sion ; moreover, here no man is master of the 

 art and mystery of developing callipash and cal- 

 lipee. Turtle, cooked by a 6 cook-boy/ suggests 

 the flesh of small green Saurians (Susmar), which 

 the haughty Persians of Firdausi thus objected 

 to their Semitic neighbours — 



' Can the Arab's greed thus have grown so great, 

 Prom his camelt 1 milk and his lizards' meat, 

 That he casts on Kayyanian crowns his eye ? 

 Fie on thee ! thou swift-rolling world, O fie ! 1 



The tortoise-shell, so often mentioned in the 

 Periplus as an export from Menouthias (chap, 

 xv.) and Rhapta (chap, xvii.), has until lately 

 been neglected. Like Bombay Calabar, and our 

 Isle of Dogs in the olden time, the few acres of 

 Turtle Island were used to 'keep antelopes, 

 goats, and other beasts of delight,' while vicious 

 baboons were deported to it from the city. 

 Below it is the celebrated 1 Ilarpshell Bank/ now 

 mercilessly spoiled. Southernmost is Chumbi 

 Island, alias La Passe, which, mistaken for the 



