The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1874-09-09

fLOhlOAs
JUPITER INLET, Fla, June 1, 1874 The
past two months the bears have focked to
the sea coast from the great pine woods and
cypress swamps of the interior. They are
drawn to the ocean beach in search of turtle
eggs, for which they have keen relish. The
turtles break from the sea on the night of
May 7. From that time until the LIST of
September they throng the beach. After de-
posting their eggs beneath the burning sand,
they settle down among the coral rocks that
appear above the water at low tide. There
they are caught by the few people living along
the cost between St. Augustine and Key
West, who are thus furnished with delicacy
almost unknown in northern ATTITUDES. Some
West, but the market there is generally over
stocked, and the business is by no means
remunerative.
Of all the turtles frequenting the beach the
green turtle is the most highly priced. In
early Spring many Of these are caught in nets
in the Indian, Hillsborough, and Halifax
rivers. The water is salt, and subject to the
across the channels of the rivers. AS the
turtles come numbering along with the cur
rent, they are entangled in the meshes and
captured The fisherman drops his prey in
what is termed crawl" where it is kept
awaiting the market demand, or until its cap
tors banker after turtle steaks or soup. The
turtle crawls are distinguished features of
salt water rivers. Cypress stakes are driven
into the sand and water some rods from the
shore in the form of a square. The water is
from two to three feet in depth, and flows
through the intervals between the stakes.
At a distance the crawls look like pig pens at
anchor. The word !" crawl" is probably a
corruption of the Spanish correE. The ma
tives persist in pronounsing and spelling it
crawl.
While in captivity the turtle seems perfectly
at home. He is purely water hog. As
long as his stomach is filled he is happy. He
is fed q peculiar grass resembling pulse that
is found Upon the bottom of the rivers. 1t is
this grass that gives the green turtle a
delicious favor. Like the canvass back duck,
he subssts entirely upon vegetarian diet.
The loggerheads and other varieties eat fish,
and are not SO eagerly sought.
The beach is the Summer resort Of the
coarser grained turtles. A few green ones
troop along in their wake, but they are out
numbered by the loggerheads and shellbacks.
The king of the sands is the great trunk
backed turtle. He carries shell built up
from his back like a tower, and presents an
interesting appearance as he crawls along the
sand Beachcombers say that their shells are
from two to five feet thick. The flesh is re-
garded as great luxury, and single shells are
sold to curiosity-seekers at prices ranging
from fifty to one hundred dollars. The
trunk back, however, is becoming very scarce.
None are taken north of Lake Worth. They
keep below the line of frost. In size they are
enormous. Mr.. Charles Moore, of Castle
Rag, tells me he has trapped them weighing
from six to eight hundred pounds. 1t is hard
to say what causes the peculiar conformation
of the she'll Mr.. Moore thinks they are GEN.
tenarian loggerheads, and that each ridge is
the weight of a certain number of years.
Their necks are shrveled, and they bear the
marks of old age in their faces. They bite
ferociously, and could easily nip off leg or
an arm.
Turtles caught on the beach between
Jupiter and Cable average from 100 to $50
pounds. Many people eat the loggerhead.
Some declare that they prefer it to the green
turtle. The descendants of the Minorcans
cook 1t in a way that destroys the fishy taste
and renders the meat extremely palatable.
It's breath is fetid and disagreeable, but there
is nothing offensive about green turtle.
The most delicious of all is the leather-back.
This is small turtle, found in both fresh and
salt water. At the edge its shell is as soft as
juiube paste, but increases in solidity as it
mounts the back. The centre of the back is of
circular form, about the size of a trade dol
lar, and hard as ivory. The leather-back is
taken when sleeping upon the surface of the
WATER None are sent north. They are
caught by long -hand'ed gaif-hook, the point
of which is jerked through the soft portion of
the she'll Along Lake Worth these turtles
are found in abundance. They are of dark
color, lacking the light greasy hue of the
green turtle, and the delicate yellow of the
loggerhead. 1t is not uncommon to see a
turtle floating upon the water fast asleep
while pair of gulls are making love upon
it's back.
have heard Floridians speak highly of
land turtle which attains large size in the
lower part of the peninsula. 1t lives in holes
in the ground. They call it gopher. 1t re-
sembles the common land turtle of New York
and New Jersey, and is protected by hinged
door of shell both fore and aft Negroes and
! Indians go into ecstacies over its steaming
soup.
| The inhabitants of the coast, however,
prize its eggs far above the turtle. Females
begin laying on the 7th of May. Old turtle
: ,t.Lors assart This date with much positiye-