d
deep interest, its habits and manners, but follows it, watches it,
catches it, kills it, and, finally, cooks it with his own hands, before
arriving at the alderman's comparatively simple and undignified act of
eating it.

So exact are these Indians in their observations and knowledge of the
turtle question, that they can tell almost to a day when and where their
unsuspecting victims will land and lay. There was an extensive stretch
of flat sand close to the spot where our voyageurs put ashore, on which
the Indians had observed numerous claw-marked furrows, which had been
traced by the turtles. Here, therefore, they had called a halt, built a
number of ajoupas, or leafy sheds, about two hundred yards from the edge
of the river, under the shelter of which to sit at night and watch for
their prey.

The turtles, it was found, were expected to land that night. Meanwhile,
the savages were regaling themselves with a splendid dish, or rather
jar, containing hundreds of turtles' eggs, mixed with bananas.

These they hospitably shared with their visitors. The mess was very
palatable, though "heavy," and our travellers did justice to it--
especially the negro, whose gastronomic powers were equal to all
emergencies.

"How do they know," asked Lawrence, as he and Pedro busied themselves in
tying up the hammocks in a suitable part of the jungle, "when to expect
the turtles?"

"Who can tell?" said Pedro. "Instinct, I suppose."

"But dey not stink at all," objected Quashy, "anyhow, not till arter
dey's dead, so't can't be dat."

"It's not that kind of stink I mean, Quashy; quite another sort," said
Pedro, who felt unequal to the task of explanation. "But look sharp; we
must lend the Indians a helping hand to-night."

"But I don't know nuffin about it," said Quashy, "an' a man what don't
know what to do is on'y in de way ob oder peepil."

"You take a just view of things, boy," returned Pedro, "but you won't
find it difficult to learn. Five minutes looking at what the Indians do
will suffice, for they only turn the turtles."

"How you mean? Turn 'im upside-down, or outside in--w'ich?"

"You'd find it hard to do the last, Quashy. No, you've only to turn
them over on their backs, and let them lie; that's all."

While the negro was thus gathering useful knowledge, the Indians amused
themselves in various ways until darkness should call them forth to the
business of the hour. Some, with that amazing tendency to imp