Riding a Sea Monster.

Manawatu Herald, 27 January 1898, Page 3

Riding a Sea Monster.

+■ ■ Florida boys have one kind of exciting sport whioh the yonng folks of more northern lands know little about, says the " Chicago Record." It consists in catching the huge seaturtles which frequent the bay along tbs southern coast of Florida. The turtles, from whioh is made the green turtle Boup so familiar to restaurant fare, are confined by the fishermen in huge pens, or "turtle crawls," consisting of fences extending from the shore out into thej water When the fisherman wants a I great turtle for market, one of the \ boys, whose shiny brown body ia j stripped bare, stands in the prow of , the boat as it is pushed from the ! shore. He watches intently, and! presently he sees one of the big; turtles taking a nap on the c'earj white tand of tbe bottom. He ; dives quickly, and, swimming down ' from behind, seises the turtle firmly

by its shell. Of course the turtle wakes up, and, like a buoking broncho, begins to dash and plunge wildly about, seeking to tbrow its plucky rider. Not succeeding in this it darts quickly to the surface, where* I the boy gets his first breath. Then down again it goes, tearing through the water and beating the foam with its flippers. But its rider never lets go for a moment, and presently the 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.