Wichita eagle., 1888-01-03
4he oolihita Daily Eagle Tuesday 5orno january
THE TURTLE AT HOME.
How the bahama Negroes Harvest TN
CroP-Capture of "a Prize.

THE TURTLE AT HOME.
How the bahama Negroes Harvest the
Cror-Capture of :. Prize.
The green turtle Of the metropolitan
restaurant. when it does not come from
the remnants of the roast veal and tired
chicken of the day before, comes chiefly
from the Bahamas and from Nassau, The
ONLY city of the Bahamas. They are
harvested also in Cuba, Hayti and at
many points on the southern coast. but
in the Bahama Islands they seem to find
the richest feeding grounds. Circuit
Justice L. d. Powles. of Bahama Island,
whose experience has been ample, telling
how tie amiable and luscious beast Is
captured in his neighborhood, says:
These families who live in the out
Islands and do ali the turtle fishing thai
is not done by the strictly business
schOoneTs and men from Nassau, have
for a home a house whose walls are built
Of coral limestone. roughly plastered to-
oethcr and rooted with palmetto thatch,
There are probably twelve on fourteen IN
the family, and they all live in one little
room. pretty nearly bare Of furniture.
Nobody but papa and mamma rise to the
dignity of a bed. The rest can sleep any
whore. When not asleep, nearly all
their lives are spent out of doors. Behind
the house is some big tree. where mother
cooks and washes ami father whackS her
and the children by turns. unless. as oc-
casionally happens, she is boss, and does
the whacking herself. They have not
much need of money, for they can grow
oranges. bananas and other tropical fruits
in plenty. with corn and sweet potatoes,
and fish is to be had for the catching.
But the out-islander stands sometimes in
need of clothes and groceries, which have
to be paid for. As turtles will either
produce cash or its substitute, he Occa-
sionallv goes oil on a turtling expedition.
After days of postponing and putting off.
he finally pulls himself together, and off
lie goes, pressing all his family into the
service. There is not much need to close
40 the house. for there are no robbers,
and no probable intruder except the hogs,
which don't count Still he probably
shuts it up. fo~ de look Of de ting, for
the darby is very punctillious about GER
tain matters.
The turtle beach may be many miles
away. but most likely he has a boat, in
which he manages to reach 1t in the
course Of a few hours. All the party
have bare feet but otherwise are dressed
much the same rs civilized people. Ex-
ternal decencv is one Of those matters or
which the Bahamian negro is most scru-
pulous.
Arrived at the turtle beach, he puts
one Of the boys in the boat and lets him
row along ii, while the rest of the party
walk, keeping a sharp lookout for turtles.
Sometimes the beach is ten miles long,
and perhaps the party draw the whole OF
it blank. in which case they beach the
boat and camp out for the night. Per
hapS they have the luck TO see monster
green turtle before they have measured
half the distance If the party is IN luck
and sights monster female turtle Of 800
pounds. having her eggs in the hot sand
a little ahead, The party divides al once
and the chatterinG ceases-sllence IS
a necessary element of success. One
half of the party ma. be for the water
TO cut off her retreat: the other half steal
n0iselesslv up and turn her on her back
a tough Job in the case of a turtle as
big rs 800 pounds. Once on her back she
Is HELPLESS and some OF the other party
20 oil in search OF palmetto leaves or
tough grass with which to tie her fins,
while the others stand round and talk to
her. jeering and making game Of her for
lorn condition, taking care. however, to
give her mouth a wide berth, for sine Is
still able to bite with considerable effect.
When the others return they cut Sits III
her fms and tie them back tightly to-
gether. Thus secured, she is carried on
board the boat and given in charge OF the
boy, while the land contingent start on
their road rejoicing, in search Of another
victim. Before going on. though. they
will lunch on the eggs their prisoner has
left behind her. These eggs are Il deli
cacv much priced in Nassau, but proba-
bly, by the time they get there they will
have gone bad. and it is only on rare oc-
casions. when turtles are caught in New
Providence or It's immediate neighbOr-
hood. that they are found IN the market.
The eggs disposed of, the party moves
on once more, nj perhaps. just at the
close of tie day, catches a hawksbill, a
good zeal smaller III size. bdt iHlit az
valuable, for this time the value is in the
shell. not in the weight This is a good
dav's work: the family TOW home con-
tented. and place their turtles in a cool
pace to await the chance of ship to
carry them up to Nassau.
Another way of catching turtles Is The
pagging of them in shoal water-that Is,
striking them with a grain or two
pronged spear. This way is adopted by
vessels engaged IN the turtle fisheries, bat
it can only be used in the case Of green
turtles. as it damages the shell.
Besides the green turtles and hawk
bills. there is another species called the
lubberhead, which is of no practical use
at all The flesh of both the latter spe-
cies Is considered valueless. but the
natives manage TO make substantial
meals out of them ell the same
Most of the turtles taken are females,
for it is the females only that come ashore
for the purpose of laying their eggs. the
males remaining usually in much deeper
water. Tie female is easily distinguished
from the male by her tail, which IS sc
short as to be absolutely nominal, while
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