and by taking aim hits his mark and
secures his prey.

Another mode of taking turtle is by making set nets, about thirty feet
square, from large twine, they then carve imitation turtle out of soft,
light wood, which are smoked over the fire to give them a turtle color,
and then attached to the upper side of the net, where they float on the
surface of the water as buoys, while the bottom is anchored with stones.
The turtle resort to the nets to play with the wooden decoys, and during
their sport generally get one of their flippers entangled, and by
struggling to extricate themselves get into the net and are easily
taken.

The next operation of catching them is performed by three or four
Indians going to the resort of the turtles, where they build a temporary
hut to live in, each takes possession of his ground, say one quarter or
half a mile; on which he walks backwards and forwards like a sentry on
guard during the night, watching the movements of his game; and when the
turtles crawl up the beach to deposit their eggs, during the laying
season, he turns them over on their backs, where they remain until he
wants to take possession. When ready, he removes them at pleasure.

The turtle generally crawls up about ten rods from the sea-shore on the
soft beach-sand, making a large track with its flippers, and digging a
hole in the sand about two feet deep, lays forty eggs, and returns to
the sea again the same night. About fifteen nights after, the identical
turtle returns to the same nest and lays forty more eggs, then retreats
into the sea again and returns there no more during that season.

The manatee, or sea-cow, is from ten to fourteen feet long, and has a
head much resembling our common cow without horns. They often get asleep
on the surface of the water, when the Indians very carefully paddle
their canoes to them, and by throwing their small spears into them,
capture them in the same manner they do the turtle. The beef when cut up
is twelve or fourteen inches thick, having a strip of fat and lean
intermixed about every inch, being the handsomest beef I ever beheld or
tasted, and having no kind of fish taste or smell.

The coast here abounds with a variety of good fish; the larger ones are
mostly taken by spearing.

The Indians have often brought me beef of the mountain-cow, which I
found of a very good flavor. I never saw but one young one of that
species, and cannot give a very good description of them. The young