New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-01-09
CAPTURING TURTLES.
HOW ENORMOUS NUMBERS OF THEM ARR
TAKEN ON THE ISLAND or ASCENSION.


One OF the most favored spots 'iequon,ed nv
turtles Is or used TO be- the dosolate island =,
Ascension, In the South Atlantic, a barren vol.
canic patch belonging to Britain. and. bocanss
used exclusively as naval depot. entered upon
the books Of the Admiralty as one ~ Her
MaJestys ships. An enormous number ~ turtlea
were annually turned" there. and preserved In
small lagoon from shipment 10 shipment n
was my pleasant privilege 10 assist M one of
these turnings, and bear 4 very vivid r,collec.
ticn Of the game. Crouched low behind an i'm
Mcnse bowlder one evening about o'clock We
could hear n hollow. reverberating murrnur N
the mighty SURF outside. suggesting slo,p.ly ire
sistible force. y dazzling wreath II snowy foam
cleaning ike FURNISHED silver. fringed the qulet
stretch OF glittering sand. which gently sloplng
upward and landwari. was bounded b. gloomy
bastiOns OF black lava. Beyond that shining
seni-circle Of glowing white lay thc sCmbre
blue black bosom Of the quiet little bay now
hcaving gently as that Of "A sloo ping child Hither
and thther, threading It's nscrutable depths
glided spectray broad tracks Of rreenish igh,
vivid, yet ever Frightening and fading as II Of
living flame. Presently there emerged from the
| thing Of no very definite shape under the
! glamour Of the molten moonlight. but making an
odd shutIling progress inland and becoming more
recognizable as 1t rose. Another and yet an
other, and still more arrived the shining
tracks converged shOreward. At last the DARK
shapes came near enough for novice 10 know
| them for turtle. Soon the first corners reached
their limit and began the work for which they
had come Each massive reptile. by an indie.
scrbabc motion Of its fore niIpcrs dclyed into
the yielding grit. throwing the spoil behind IL
| and upward withal until it was enyelOped in a
misty halo Of shining sand. Then the whole
beach was alive with the toiling Chrl0nes and
their male attendants. who shuiIled about emit
ting curious noises. but whether Of encourage
ment or affection this deponent sayeth not
Divers Of them came from far so Ear that
none who have not witnessed the swift cleayng
Of their true element by the unganly monsters
could believe how the wide sweep # those eager
nippers dcyours the neeting leagues IN a short
time many of the delving turtles had sunk below
the level OF the surrounding sand while some
had ceased their digging and commenced - de-
post their eggs. Suddenly rushed upon them,
and for some minutes the swarm.ng beach was
apparently scene Of wild confusion. Really.
the plan OF attack was well ord, r,I. and when
the first sCurry was over nearly all the visitors
were TO be seen wrong side up. waving ihoir
clippers deprecatingIy In less than half an hour
the lOneln IS was again rcgnant. all Oh. VIC
! Tins hlyiug been towcd of through gap boz the
rocks to a spacious spoiarlum IN the LAGOON
behind there 10 await their transit t. the sOaI
OF most good things. London town
Another way practised most successfully by
the amphbious Kanakas of Polynesia Is 10 slip
noiselessly into the water. and diving o.neath
the turtle grasp the hind clippers -.th ssed
hands. one swift and ftNtroU- twist flt' & the
prize on his back. IN which helpless iusit. n he
is kept with ease upon the surfac. until the
canoe arrives. and h. is transferred - y Among
! the coral reefs of tho Friendly Islands turtle
fishing is a highly favored form q sport and
when the reptiles surprised on. ns the
tortuous shallow channels between the , Ifs or
I'm the almost land locked agoous. they rarely
escape Here il j. usual for the fish rWan 10
spring upon the turtles back. and c.uic hing the
fore edge Of the shell with botn hands - hang
on until his prize IS exhausted and speedny
brought to thu surface
But Of all the fashions Of securing this much
hunted creature that followed by The ingenious
fisher folk OF the Chinese lttora bears away
the palm Most vOyagers in tropical seas are
acquainted with peculiar fish. j. r'inor1
known generally by the trivial name of me
sucker" The Distinguishing CHARACTERISTIC u
this fish is lazness. Unwilling l. ,rt iistI
overmuch i'm the pursuit Of food. IL has dsVe-
oped an arrangement on the back 81 ITS % 'ai 'N-
actly like the corrugated sole Of tennis Shoe;
and as artificial in appearance as II made ana
! fitted by the hand OF mar When th. sucker
finds itself in the vicinity Of any large hoa-H.
| body. such as a ship. shark. ~ a flt'' =.
! fotsam, who's ncghbOrhOod seems g. MISE
an abundance OF food, il attaches itS & irlV
! thereto by means of this curious ,a ltrIFdncr,
| which permits il to eat. breath ard norm aI
| necessary functions while being Carried t"'u'
without any eXertion on its part II rtn ai'".n
! and detach itself inStaLtancDusly, ana A.ti9 "
| firmly that a direct backward pull cannot u.s.
| lodge 1t without injury TO the fish Th. 'hiness,.
who have successfully trained me ''i az ~,
and the otter 10 fish for them ha'' taken Nv
remora in hand with the htll'st results -,
! cral good sized specimens having h' % ftHsh'
small iron rings are fitted o. heir t.l~. o. ~hC'
are attached long slender. but N'ry sN' ht " ~,
/ Thus equipped the fish rmcn sci "Hi anu N. 49,
a basking turtle is seen TWO ~ tli'. " -,
/ suckers are slipped owe rboard should th'f tsln
and stick TO the bottom Of the SANG tn, the;
are carefully detached by being pushed in'" -
/ with the inevitabl, bamboo. ana started IN INV
search again At last they attach themselves ~
the supine turtle Then the fishermen hauI -
! the lines. again; which gentle sua>ion thr nay
! less Chelone struggles in vain. One on pon t.
the lugger the Us, ful remora IS det1cheI, ana
at once ready for use again