The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-02-12
NARROWING TURTLE.
Tow the Work is Done in the Gulf of
Mexico.
From the Nem York Tribune.


The turtle is justly considered feast Of the
gods. The way people usually capture the prize
is to wait for Mrs. Turtle when she comes
ashore to lay her eggs on the sand beach and to
turn her on her back vita a handspike. There
is much more fun, with much better sport, in
catching turtles by harpoOning-a method fol-
lowed among the keys and coral banks which
fringe the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. The
haruoon consists of a short shaft made of iron,
which fits loosely into wooden pole about nine
feet long Around the shaft a line is fastened,
which should be strong and about sixty faith
oms long. The barb of the harFoon is about al
inch long. having two notches If Longer team
this it is liable to pierce deeper than the she'll
and, perhaps Kill the turtle, which the fisher
man has no wish to do.
The best SORT of DO TO use IL q i5-foot skill,
with simply g. ''lug sail, which can be dropped
in q hurry. A crew of two is necessary one to
look after the sail and be handy with pair Of
oars, while the other looks after the ti!ler. 1t
is of no use to 90 after turtles in a calm, They
! sleep in the shallow water which fringes the
keys, and always sleep with one eye open, SO
that using the oars sends the animals off like a
| streak of light long before is in striking
distance. 1t is when the surface OF the water is
| rippled by breeze that one has chance of
making catch. so that the fishing has gener-
| ally to take place IN the afternoon.
The harpOoner stands in the bow with the
! line carefully coiled between his feet. He has
! 10 keep a sharp lookout, and as soon as he
| espies turtle resting on the white sandy bot
| tom, surrounded by sponges, he directs the
! helmSman by hand. AS one gets above the
| creature down goes the harpoon, the striker
| holding fast to thu handle, for the water is sell
| dom more than five feet deep. If the strike is
! successful one the pole comes away from the
| harpooD and is thrown into the boat. The sail
| must be lowered instantly, the oars taken out
! and the boat headed in the direction the turtle
| has taken. AS soon as this is done strain is
/ gradually put on the line, and the turtle is soon
! towing the boat This quickly puts the animal
! out of breath and he has TO come to the surface
| for air In about half an hour, a rule, he is
! alongside the boat considerably exhausted.
He is not, however, IN the boat yet, and it is
| now the duty of the man VINO has charge OF the
| tiller to jump overheard and turn the turtle
/ over on it's back. This is no easy task, and the
| man generally has two or three good duckings
| before he Is sue eSslul. Not infreuuently the
animal makes a fiual dash for freedom, and the
| boat has TO head for the new direction taken,
| and the steersman is left in the water. Even
! when the turtle is turned, it is not easy TO haul
| a 400-pound animal into the boat, which usually
| is half full of water before the captive is vsinly
| Tapping fins at the bottom of the boat.
| Sometimes the turtles head for the deep
water, and if so, it generally takes from two to
! three hours to land them, as they will sink to
| the bottom and sulk there, coming up for breath
| only at long iutervals The most successful
| days catch the writer ever had was three; but
there was many blank day and many har-
! pooh, with fathoms OF line. lost, owing to some
mishap.