The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-11-05
FISHING FOR TURTLES.
GOOD CATCH DESCRIBED By a
CAREFUL OBSERVER.

sults-On6 OF the very Oiukular IN
6ustr.es That Engage the bahama
Islanders.
From The Philadelphia Press.
How it is done where most It's done-that
is my theme.
The inhabitants OF the Bahama Islands,
called Conchos, are mostly negroes, and
very ignorant, their whole education being
in wrecking, turtling and fishing.
As wrscking occurs but seldom turtlng
is "the" occupation.
The vessels used are small schooners, from
ten to twonty tons, carrying an average
crew Of eleven all told, and small boats for
every two men. A trip lasts from five to
si1 weeks, and all hands share in the profits.
The owner of the vessel gets one third of the
profts, and the crew two-thirds. The cap
tain has two shares. mate one and one-half
and Grew one share each.
The owner provisions the vessel and de-
ducts the amount of same from profits be-
fore division is made with the crew. All
trips, however, are not profitable, and if no
money is made the owner stands the loss.
Much depends upon the weather, for, like
sponging, clear water is necessary for sue
these ATTITUDES depends upon the weather.
While some turtles are found on the sur
face, many more are caught on the bottom in
eight or ten fathoms OF water.
The small boat outfit consists OF the water
glass, the spear, the bully and the grapnel.
OF course this is in addition to the sculing
car and such articles as are found IN all
small boats.
The water glass Is usually an ordinary
or with fbR hOtfOrl knOnIad a,J
window glass inserted in place of the bot
tom. BY means of this glass the bottom.
can easily be seen in these waters from
twelve to fifteen fathoms i'll clear weather.
The spear consists of pole about six feet
long, with an iron point to it. and on this
point is fitted an iron plug with line at
tached. This is for rface work. When
the spear is driven into the turtle the plug
IS detached from the spear, leaving the tur-
tie fast by plug and line.
The bully" or net used for dropping
over the turtle on the bottom when clear Of
all rocks is not unlike the ordinary crab
net, but much larger. II consists Of an iron
hoop or ring about five feet in diameter.
covered by net of large mesh, having a
line attached to the middle er apex, for it is
shaped not unlike cone.
The graDnel, used for dragging on the
bottom, is made Of five king fish hooks
lashed together, points out, with line at
tached TO the shanks. By dragging this
on the bottom the turtle is sometimes
caught under the neck and hauled to the
surface.
There is one more method-by diving,
This | will speak Of later OF.
There are three kinds Of turte-hawk-
bill. logger-heed and green turtle. The
latter, no doubt, your readers are familiar
With, for 1t IS be, poor fellow, who decorates
the front of aY1fo in Iar
cities. The green turtle Is used for food
only, his shell being worthless. He is kept
alive uutil market is reached and much
longer, too. He will live with care six
moaths, and at times longer. The head
must not be allowed to hang. and the eyes
must be sponged with salt water once each
day. The turtle never eats except in water.
The green turtle grows to the largest size.
some weighing as much as 500 pounds. In
the Nassau market they bring cents per
pound
The hawk-bill is the most valuable; the
shell, the tortoise shell. Of which many
fancy articles are made, is taken to
Nassau and from there shipped to France
ind England. The shells weigh from one to
six pounds aud sell for from So to Sl2 per
pound, according to quality. So it is
readily seen what'a good batch Of hawk
bills means TO the turtle fisher. The meat
ls either used Oh board or sailed down and
sent to market
The logger head she'll is not very valua-
bic. 1t sells for % cents per pound. It's
meat, while not as good as either the green
or hawk-bill, is salted aud sold in market.
Now having described quite fully he YES
sells and boats and the turtle, 1t viii be in
order to catch few-sO we take passage in
the Champion of Nassau, Capt. Jones.
After pleasant trip we arrive off Ginger
bread Key, said to be one OF the best urtling
grounds around the Bahamas. Being O
gooc, clear day, ell is propitious for a fine
day sport. Sail is reduced and all boats
cal ID away, al vessel left in charge of the
COOK. Five boats are sent off, two men in
each boat, one to scull and the other in the
bow Captain and crew work alike. AS
special favor, am allowed to 60 in the
boat with the captain, with the proviso that
keep quiet
we are now busy scanning the surface
and soon sight large turtle asleep on the
water. Away we speed, as fas5 as possible
yet with as little noise as possible The
captain is in the bow standing erect. with
tPear IN hand and line all clear for running.
we are near the monster, the strong right
arm IS drawn back, the spear steadied by
the lett hand, the sculling ceases out flies
hespear and crushes through the shell OF
the turtle, the staff is pulled out and the
turtle, no" fully awake, sinks rapidly to
the bottom, but is fast by the line and plug.
aver q short while he allows himself to be
pulIeo to the surface. Being too large to
hand'e In the small beat we signal the
schooner. which comes alongside, hooks on
tue tureie and we have him on deck aud on
uls oacK In short order. Our first catch
turns out to be large logger head.
oUmetlmes 1t Is impossible to get near the
surtle, and the spear is thrown as far as
nlsy ieet With remarkable accuracy.
Tine is precious; We are Off again. Not
seeing any turtle on the surface, the captain
:, - On ais knees in the bottom of the boat,
teanlng over the side, eagerly scanning the
ooIIom through the water glass. After
a"alle ms hand is up, directing the sculler
70 t9rn this way or that way. He sees a
turtle. The bully" is all ready. line all
clear. and, as the boat.comes over the turtle.
40 is dropped over him on the bottom. AS
soon as be finds himself under the net he at
Ienlpts to free himself, and in SO doing be-
zones ~ nopeessly entangied in the meshes.
ne 10 hauled up and taken into the boat,
being small hawk-bil.
VOW, as 1t Is too late to do any more work,
al boats are recalled. We find we have had
ene most success. but two turtles being
taught by the other four boats. After a
uearty supper all hands turn in ready for an
esaeiy call IN the morning. Again we are in
luck. for the second day is bright and
smooth. After an early breakfast y are
On again. After a long search and tire
some look through thu water glass turtle
y seen on the bottom. partially hidden UNI
Ier rock, The bully, or grapnel, is use