The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-11-14
THE BIG SEA TURTLE
HoWlTis CAUGHT sYeEoReIAcoAsr
FISHERMEN.

b 3. 2
Ehe Hunt 10 Always ksauc at NikIasI
and the Ungninly Creatures Are
brought to Grief Through the Jael
Of Trick ana Device.
One &c :.ha favorite summer sports o2|
the fishermen and marooners OF Sayan.
nah is turtle hunting On the sandy!
beaches NJ the neighhnring islanda.
where from May TO august the turtlea
come out TO iay their eggs. s
On the long, fat stretches of sand the
turtle cfawls about 100 feet or more
from the water line, and there, with
her clippers scooplng out q round hole
from two to three feet deep. deposits
her eggs, often 300 or more, covering
every SO ortso with a thin lnyer OF
sand, and putting final layer or con.
siderable thickness over the top Of the
nest after her maternal duties are fln-
tshed. This final filling In of the nes.
she s.,:cctEs CT even with the beach
and after making the surroundings as
nearly as possible like the remainder
Of the beach, if undisturbed, crawls
back to- the water with the pleasing
consciousness of duty well performed
and the confident conviction that In q
short time her maternal heart will be
gladdencd with q numerous progeny.
Even when she escapes with her life,
however, her hopes Of family are Of
ten disappointed, for turtle eggs are
conceded to be o delicacy by nearly
everybody who has tried them, anu it
Is this toothsomeness Of her product
that leads to the undoing Of the turtles
hopes, for during the season of her lay
ing the nests are sought for continu-
ously and many Of them found and
robbed Of their contents. The method
OF search is very simple. Where the
tracks of the turtle are found leading
up the beach they are followed, and
the ground at various points along the
Hail is tested by means Of q slender
rod or walking cane. The nest Is dis
tinguished when reached by the ready
yielding Of the sand, and the hunters
scoop out the sand with their hands
and appropriate the eggs.
But 1t Is in securing the turtle herself
that the hunter finds the greatest
pleasure. The hunt Is almost always
made ut night and preferably during
moonlight. The conditions are best
about the middle of May, during q full
moon, and In the early morning hours
Then skirting the water line the hunt
ers walk along the beach, keeping q
sharp lookout for tracks as they pass
along and still sharper lookout ahead
for the creature itself. On q clear
night the great, slumL.srlng animal can
be distinguished long way or. When
one Is sighted, the hunters determine
their further proceedings In accordance
with the position of the creature with
respect to the nearness of the water
line and its evident intentions. If on
Its way to make q nest, which Is
known by It's crawling up the sand
and away from the water, there is no
particular need to hurry. as, unless
disturbed. the turtle will not return to
the water until she has deposited her
eggs. So usually the hunters are con-
tent to wait safe distance away until
the nest has been completed and the
actual laying Of the eggs begun. Then
they may approach with impunity, for
the turtle, once on the nest, will not
move until she has completed her task.
Il is when she commences her retreat
to the water that the hunters secure
her by catching the side Of the shell
and turning her over on her back.
where she lies helpless and can only
ran her mighty and powerful flippers
in wrathy impotence.
The turtle Is firm believer that dis,
cretion is the better part OF valor, and
she shows fight only when cornered
and has no way of escape. Should she
catch sight Of her natural enemy, man.
before she has begun to lay, she Will!
at once beat q basty retreat toward
the water, scaling the hard beach and
throwing hack quantities &c s:::a &C!
her haste. But when she is brought
to bay she will both bite and strike!
heavy blows with her flippers, nnd|
these must be carefully avoided whileI
she is being turned on her back.
It Is owing to her efforts to injurei
her enemies taat her final undoing Isl
accomplished, for, like most OF the
family testudinata, the turtle can draw
its head into the shell and close itsl
flppers close to its sides, making ITSELF
practically impervious to attacks. This
Its captor knows, and SO when readyi
to slaughter 1t he pokes It's head with
o stick until, to stop the annoyance. /,
the animal extends its head, when II isi
cut: OF by well directed blow With
hatchet or ak.
Some persons claim that there can bel
found In the turtle portions that taste
like and resemble In appearance chick
en- meat, veal and beefsteak, but the!
average marooner finds in the turtle
only turtle, which both In texture END
taste closely resembles beefsteak. i
Turtles are still quite numerous on
Warsaw. though not nearly 90 plend.
ful as they were several years ago
when as many as nine have been turn.i
ed IN one night. They average in sizel
rom the comparatively small one of
100 pounds to 500 pounds and In ex.l
eepdonal cases 100. Savannah NeEs.
EARLY Trs.ining In Fine Manners.
Recire ocel courtesy has an influenced
In child culture moi tn Ja iynnrof7