The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-10-30
THE TURTLE AND SUPERSTITION.
A Matter Of Theology Involved In an In
tercsting samoan Experiment.

"hssssnS hio
The South Sea turtle. though smaller.
Is just as rich an article of diet as the
green turtle of the West Indies. h
ocean about Samoa swarms with tur-
ties, and certain OF the islands there
are beaches much frequented by them
in the season OF laying their eggs.
From one of these beaches a resident of
Apia obtained half a dozen turtles alive.
He had some sort OF an idea that by
keeping them for a while and then
turning them loose they would stablish
themselves on his beach n return
regularly in the egg season. 1t has a
taking theory; Ii had been proved to
work in the case of brook trout and
Goldfish. and II should succeed In the
case of turtle. He built a large pen
on his beach I'm the suburb OF Vaiala.
Its walls were guaranteed turtle proof.
they included n nice sunny beach, a
shady stretch of trees. a pool which
he tide never emptied.
Every ~precaution was taken that the
turtles should not escape and by their
escape spoil the experiment. Every
provision was made for the comfor of
the captives N the supply was gen.
erous OF such articles as ii was sup
posed that the turtles fed upon. The
new proprietor of this acclimation sta
ton set before him the task of habitu-
ating his turtles by kind treatment and
abundance of food to his particular
beach. But there were others who saw
in IL nothing but a turtle farm, and at
the same time hat the experimenter
was making a vain effort to get his
pets TO come at a whistle others were
watching with watering mouths the
the f%attening of the turtles.
OEe fine morning there was a break
in the fence of the turtle pen. In the
darkness the wall had been thrown
lAxx#n anl Tho aaKsssrnC bod xE..fahng
The experiment in acclimation of sea
turtles was at an end Very naturally
suspicion fell on the Samoan popula-
ton of Vaila. 1t hardly seemed posi-
bile that the turtles could destroy the
wall after it had stood against them
SO long. But the Vaiala as a commu-
nifty was shocked at the suspicious that
IL would commit theft and interfere
with an experiments which would re-
suit so much to the advantage of the
village. And there was another reason
why The village could nave not done
the foul deed. 1t was not a thing tn
speak of I'm public, but the chief of
the town came privately n and di-
vulged IL. In the old days of heathen-
don the Vaiala god Inhabited the tur-
tie, 1t would have been death to any
Naial nan to eat turtle meat. Now,
they were all Christians, but the peo-
rlc were superstitious and would not
have anything to do with turtle.
With equal privacy the native pas
tor called and rehearsed the same sad
showing as to the efficacy of his min
istry. converted though they might be
from their old paganism. Vaiala was
yet too superstitious to have anything
to do with the missing turtles. Elders
of the town council, maids of the viii
lage, ancient crones, who were suppos-
ell to be as wise as witches. each came
under q veil of secrecy n conf
dcnce with a full confession of the pos
tive sancity OF turtles in Vaiala. and
as a result Of that superstition the GER
tainty hat the preserved animals had
escaped n had not been eaten by the
neighbors.
1t Is a problem in ethics. The pen
was surely strong enough to hold the
turtles. The turtle was really the an
cestral god of Naiala. and as such not
To be eaten when they were yet in
heathendom. Yet Vaiala smiled as those
smile who have eaten turtle with no
qualms of theology.-New York sur.