Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-10-07
PROCURING TORTOIsE-sHELL.
How the Turtles Are Caught-CrueI-
ties of the Traffic.
Evening Post.)

Evening Post)
There are many articles Of daily and
hourly use. constantly passing before our
eyes and through our hands, about the
production of which we know compare
lively little or nothing. An interesting
example Of this is tortoise shell, from
which combs and hair-pins are made. be-
sides a multitude of trinkets for the
dressing-table, the desk and the pocket
Fierce crusades have been instituted in
recent years against the slaughter Of
birds for the procurement of their plu-
mage for hat trimmings, and yet I ven
ture TO say that the process OF pro-
curing tortoise shell is a cruelty TO animal
life which far exceeds that to which
birds are subjected.
In the eighties 1 happened to be down
In Bluefelds, on that awful Mosquito
Coast, and at the invitation of one Man
uel Latona, who was the owner and cap
tain of a small schooner, went with him
TO the cay FL Roncador for tortoise shell
This cay gets its name (Which in Eng
lish would be The Snorer) from the ex-
ceedngly angry surf, which can be heard
for a long distance breaking over the
reefs. This is the cay on which, a cou-
pie of years back, the historic old shil
Constitution was wrecked and battered
TO pieces. FL Roncadoc is nothing more
nor less than a typical coral island. such
as is found throughout the Southern
seas. three quarters of a mile long, per-
haps, and not more than a quarter OF a
mile across its widest part. Surround
ing the island is a reef inside of which
the water is smooth and rather shallow;
and at the bottom of this shallow water
there grows a peculiar kind of sea-grass
which is a dainty food for the turtle
tribes. There is also found on the top
of the water inside the reef a sort OF
small blubber fish, called in Spanish de-
dales, or thimble fish, which is. perhaps. |
the greatest delicacy of the entire tur-
tie menu.
The turtle whose shell is valued in |
commerce is a small species known as
the hawks bill. There are other varie-
ties which come to Ell Roncador to spawn.
but they are not molested. During the
night the turtles crawl up on the shore
TO lay their eggs, each female depositing
on an average about seventy. To do
this they dig holes in the sand about two
feet deep and after laying the eggs CO.
YER them over so deity that 1t is almost
impossible for a novice to find them.
These eggs are really delicious when
'oasted, but the turtle-fishers are care
full not to destroy those they do not take
'or food, so as TO promote as much as
possible the increase of this valuable sea
'eptile. At night the fishers conceal
themselves along the shore as well as
possible, and when the turtles come up
nut of the water on the beach they rush
orth and turn them over on their backs
With iron hooks, leaving them secure In
his position until morning.
Tho tortoise shell Of cOmTOprcp is NOT 1
is generally believed. the horny cover
1g or shell proper of the turtle; il is
he scales which cover the shield. These
Gales are thirteen in number, eight OF
hem being fiat and the other five some
What curved. Four of those that are fiat
re quite large, sometimes being as
much as twelve inches long and seven
inches broad, nearly transparent, and
variegated in color with red,
elbow, white. and dark brown clouds,
,hch give the effects so fully brought
ut when the shell is properly polished. !
turtle of average size will furnish I
bout eight pounds of these laminae. or Z
Gales. each piece being from an eighth :
D quarter of an inch i'm thickness.
1t is the method by which these scales :
re loosened which is the repulslve part :
the business. The turtles are not d
illed, as that would lead to their exter- }
linatlon i'm a very few years. After v
apturing them the fishers wait for day {
ght TO complete the work. The turtles
re turned over again in their natural !
osition and fastened firmly to the :
round by means of pegs; then a bunch I
dried leaves or sea-grass is spread (
yenly over the back of the turtle and
81 afire. The heat is not great enough j
, injure the shell, merely causing IL 10 .
.parate at the joints. A large blade :
cry similar in shape to a chemists spa =
lla-is then inserted horizontally be- a
veen the laminae which are gently n
RED from the back Great care must I
3 taken not to injure the shell by too a
uch heat, and yet IL is not forced OF a
ltil 1t is fully prepared for separation q
: a sufficient amount Of warmth. =
The operation, as one may readily ina .
ne, is the extreme of cruelty. and g
any turtles do not survive it. Most OF
lem do live, however, and thrive, and d
time grow new covering. just as a q
an will grow a new finger nail in place q
one he might lose. The popularity Of y
10 second growth OF shell. though. is n
at instead OF reproducing the original I,
mber of thirteen segments, II is re- | n
ored in one solid piece. e.
To see the operation OF taking the shell
ON the living turtle once is about all :,
man of northern breeding wants OF IT: ~
ID IL the helpless reptiles had the power a
voicing their sufferings under IL their a
les would tell OF as heartless a BUSH In
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