RIDING A SEA MONSTER.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6072, 8 January 1898, Page 7

RIDING A SEA MONSTER.

Florida boys have one kind of exciting sport which the young folk of more northern lands know little about, says the Chicago Record. It consists iv catching the huge sea- turtles which frequent the bay along the southern coast of Florida. The turtles, from which is made the green-turtle soup so familiar to restaurant fare, are confined by the fishermen in huge pens, or " turtlecrawls," consisting of fences extending from the shore out into the water. When the fisherman wants a great turtle for market, one of the boys, whose shinny brown body is stripped bare, stands in the prow of the boat as it is pushed from the 3hore. He watches intently, and presently he sees one of the big turtle taking a nap on the clear white sand of the bottom. He dives quickly, and, swimming down from behind, seizes the turtles firmly by its shell. ' Of course tbe turtle wakes up, and, like a bucking broncho, begins to dash and plunge wildly about, seeking to throw its plucky rider. Not succeeding in this, it darts Quickly to the surface, whoro the l>oy gets his first breath. Then down ngnin it goes, tearing through the water and beating the foam with its flippers. Bnt its rider never lets go for a moment, and presently the great turtle grows exhausted, and the boy, by lifting on the front end of the shell, forces it to the boat, where it is quickly loaded aboard and taken away to market. It is great sport, and the boys enjoy it.