TEACHING PARLIAMENT TO CATCH TURTLE.

North Otago Times, Volume XX, Issue 965, 25 August 1874, Page 4

TEACHING PARLIAMENT TO CATCH TURTLE.

Large portions" of the Polynesian Papers presented to Parliament by Mr . yogeL-read-like--parUof-^lejuof-to^vol~ and adventure, and are most interesting outside the object with which they were presented. Take forinstanCe the following description of turtle catching at the Gallapagos Islands :-;- -; ' f * There are several ways of 1 catching 1 turtle, but the, mqst usual is to, watch for them *t night* "When they are taken during the day, it is generally by surprising them while they are asleep on the surface of the water. On those occasion? the practice is, so soon as the -iurtle-is-discoyered, for several persons iergo"<rat to~ him in a canoe, and paddle^ silently alongside, when they seize him 'and lift him 04 Board before, he lcnows 0 what is gtting 'on\ They are< f quite,' harmless, except T in theTniere matter of floundering, and striking out with their flappers, with which they can deliver ir severe; "blow. It is very rare for them ' t6 attempt to bite. When a turtles fpund sleeping, and he be, of grea^si^ it is, usual, to harpoon bun. During the breeding sensuu thcsy-creaturef we^ very careless of their safety ; they are found in congeries, mnd, tinder Oettiin •eireumstanefcs, hx^ljiCno sense of dan?, ger, or desire tb escap^from tljie^pre-.. sence of man. JWjben several, turtles are: in this state; ajike.numbetiof meHihair',. ing approached them in a canoe, will jump overboard and lay hold of them thtuTf ftielnnn gets on the back of the Jturtl<!,an4. takes hold with his hands of the front of the shell, just behind the neck. This prevents him from " sounding," thatia to say, goingidown headr foremost, as a turtle will always do when alarmed* if not prevented/ tA in this, ca^elie is effectually by the wwghV ofjthe man on his back. He ib thus quite helpless, for he has no idea

of getting rid :of hh rider, except by diving head first, and allows himself to be steered itujftny direction his captors may choose.^f Ynus he is brought up alongside of thp canoe, and hoisted into it without resistance. But in playing this little gam*, which seem so simple,, there are seyfral things which it is necessary to Iriow. One of them' is, that a turtle in, the water can cut a naked man very dangerously with his 'flippers ; another thing to be avoided is to.catoh the: turtle by the tail. God help the man; that knows no better than to do sd, for foe reptile will in that case instantly (hut his body/ w^herety he will, hold the man's hand as tight as though it were in a vice, and, diving head foremost* will take him r d6wn r to the bottom of the sea.