The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-07-28

go He solemn, dried-out. signing crea
ture, proppsd up against a res
GA taurant in a Northern city, with
~ sign hung about its neck infcrm-
ing the passer-by that it is to be
served this day" gives little idea Of
the powerful animal of graceful motion
which bounds along the shallow lagoon
or the outer Florida reef, plunges deep
into the blue arteTy-like channels or flies
along the smooth surface of the gulf
stream with all the abandon OF perfect
liberty. On land the great sea turtles
the logSerhead, green and leather-a%e
clumsy and to some extent helpless: but
once clear of the beach and off bottom
they become types of activity, the pow
erful screw-lke movements of the fore
fiippers sending them along like the
clouds that the forerunners of the
squalls and hurricanes which devastate
the tropical reefs.
During a long residence on the eX-
IRENE outer Florida reef, on a key Of
but thirteen acr-s-fcrmerly n possession
of the turtles and wrested from them
by the government had many oppor-
tunities 10 observe the great game that
Is so familiar to the general public as
mock turtle soup" Turtle was game
here in every sense. There was the sport
Of taking il and the satisfaction of eat
ing it, served in divers ways bv old
lnRTe
We're calapee, the green meat dried; turtle
balls, yellow eggs, turtle stew, turtle
steak and turtle soup. 1t was astonish-
ing how many dishes one turtle could
furnish.
Turtle hunting was the principal sport
OF the reef and to be had in some form
at all times. During the winter we peg
ged them on the outer recf In early
spring we turned them en- the keys by
a
on azure seas. In the group were eight
or nine keys from an acre or more in
extent to a mile in length n arfy all
affording equal facilities; but for reasons
best known to themselves the turtles af-
fected two regularly and the rest rare
Iy. Bright moonlight nights found the
lovers Of the sport on Loggerhead key
the extreme westward Of the group
-Four or FIVE white hunters and eight
or ten boys" as the negroes are called,
made up the party, and by the time the
moon rose they would be distribute
around the beach in parties of three, 800
or 400 let apart, lying in the depres-
sions Of the sand, basking in the MOON
light that made the night like day. Net
q word would be spoken, as the game was
shy and easily alarmed and every now
and then one Of each group would crawl
down over the sand TO the waters edge
and run along to see if a turtle had
appeared in the intervening spa e; in this
way the shore line was covered.
One night as / lay watching the water
sparkling here and there with the vivid
blaze Of phOsphoreScence ! scddenly saw
round head. surrounded by a ring. Of
golden light. rise ten feet off shore. then
seee-see! broke upon the air, like the es-
cape of steam. Paublo dropped his head
and almost stopped breathing, and for
Few seconds We remained quiet Then
We Ventured to look over the sandy
breastwoik to see the moonbeams 81. stem
ing on TIE back of huge turtle When
II reached the shore it stopped to listen,
then moved slowly up the beach and
when about fifty feet above high water
mark began to dig. In fifteen minutes
or so Inc nest had been excavated
Crawling along we approached to with n
tWSnty feet, then rushed down upon the
game. 1t was my first turtle ana I was
excited. The turtle wheeled with mar ell
Gus speed and began TO slide down The
beach carrying me also, as I had leaped
upon its lack. Then Paublo and l both
grasped the same side ana lifted and
as the clippers cleared the ground I re-
ceived the full force Of one It hurled
me against the boy, and down we went
in a flying cloud of sand.
The trrle was loggerhead and must
have weighed zoo or 500 pounds. and to
lift it with its huge Gippers flying was
almost impossible; so Paublo seized one
mind Ripper Sandy another. while 7 en-
ueavoIed 10 stop the animal in front with
an car. But the tun,le dragged the boys.
then threw them off, finally. in desDera-
ton, We all three laid hold, and ducking
the blows, succeeded in fling it, toppItrg
II over upcn its back jus5 as it reached
the waters edge The hippers were new
tied together and, having hauled the r D.
tile high and CRY, we continued the
watching
The next proved to be an active green
turtle. ran across it not twenty feet
from the water, finding its tracks and
following them up; and despite my exer-
lions 1t turned and reached the water
dragging me in before assistance came
l held on until the animal plunged over
the rim OF the beach into deeo water
and then swan in to renew the sport
which was carried on until 8 o'clock
when we had eight or nine turtles captr1r-
ed' with various exciting accompani-
ments. These were loaCed on fat-scows
and hauled to a neighboring island.
Were they We're released in a turtle
crawl In which the animals had eight or
Ten teet of water and abundant swimming
room.
There was a legend on the reef of n
Conch who had caught turtle single
A-elAN@DN' III TIC outer lagoon. ard de-
termlned 10 attempt it. 1t occurred 70 mo
that these enclosed turtles would provide
cS accident practice. The crawl was sixty
ieet vide, nearly nall mile long. aud
the animal could easily be seen sleepir;r
on the bottom. So one day I slipped into
the water and swan out, diving when
near turtle. Approaching from behind.
l seized It With beth hands just over
the head by the shell. With a bound
the animal surged upward. its flippers
striking the bottom with terrific force.
sending a cloud of sand in every direc-
ton. Reaching the surface, the terrified
animal breathed, then plunged, dragging
me under water at pace that could have
but one ending. it reached bottom, skim
med along, turned on its side, glanced
this way and that in as many seconds.
trying TO throw me off. But 1 chung to it.
Before my breath was gone it rose 70
breathe again. then down it plunged, GO
ing like the wind. The animal made a
desperate attempt to throw me off and
towed me up and down several times. L