Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1898-09-22
TURTLE HUNTING.

TURTLE HUNTING.
How the Animals Are Attacked and .'TurD.
ed" on Ascension Island.
One of the most favored spots fire.
quented by turtle is, or used to be,
the desolate island of Ancension in
the south Atlantic, a barren vol
canic patch belonging to Britain,
and, because used exclusively as
naval depot, entered upon the books
of the admiralty as one of her maj
esty's ships. An enormous number
of turtles were annually turned"
there and preserved in small la
COON from shipment to shipment
1t was my pleasant privilege to as
sist at one of these turnings, and
bear very vivid recollection of the
game.
Crouched low behind an immense
bowlder one evening about 8 clock,
we could hear a hollow reverberat-
ing murmur of the mighty surf out
side, suggesting sleepily irresistible
force. A dazzling wreath of snowy
foam, cleaning like FURNISHED sill
yer, fringed the quiet stretch of gilt
tering sand, which, gently slopipg
upward and landward, was bounded
by gloomy bastions of black lava.
Beyond that shining semicircle of
glowing white lay the somber blue
black bosom of the quiet little bay,
now heaving gently as that of
sleeping child Hither and thither,
threading its inscrutable depths,
glided speotrally broad tracks of
greenish light, vivid, yet ever
Frightening and fading, as if of liv-
ing flame.
Presently there emerged from the
retreating smother Of spume a creep
ing something of no very definite
shape under the glamour of the
molten moonlight, but making an
odd shutting progress inland and
becoming more recognizable as it
rose. Another and yet another
and still more arrived as the shining
tracks converged shoreward. At
last the dark shapes came near
enough for novice to 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
scribable motion Of it's fore fippers,
delved into the yielding grit, throw
ing the spoil behind it and upward
withal until it was enveloped in a
misty halo of shining sand. Then
the whole beach was alive with the
toiling chelones and their male at
tendants, who shuff1ed about, emit
ting curious noises, but whether Of
encouragement or affection this de-
ponent saith not.
Divers of them came from fan-
so far that none who have not wit
messed the swift cleaving of their
true element by these ungainly
monsters could believe how the
wide sweep of those eager f1ippers
devours the heeting leagues. In a
short time many of the delving tur-
ties had sunk below the level of the
surrounding sand, while some had
ceased their digging and commenced
to deposit their eggs. Suddenly we
rushed upon them, and for some
minutes the swarming beach was
apparently scene of wild confu-
sion. Really the plan of attack was
well ordered, and when the first
scurry was over nearly all the visit
ors were to be seen wrong side up,
waving their tlippers deprecatingly.
In less than half an hour the lone
illness was again regnant, all the
victims having been towed of
through a gap in the rocks to spa
cious spoliarium in the lagoon be-
hind, there to await their transit tc
the goal of most good things, Lon
] don town.-Chambers' Journal.