'Travels from India to England : comprehending a visit to the Burman Empire, and a journey through Persia, Asia Minor, European Turkey, &c., in the years 1825-26, by James Edward Alexander' [‎59] (112/412)

V
BURMAN EMPIRE. 59
not made tliem, upon taking out or bringing in a vessel, the next
trip they are sure to lose anchors, cables, &c., and to play the very
deuce with the ship. The pilotage paid to Government is, according
to the vessel's draft of water, twenty rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. a foot: besides this,
the harbour-dues, mooring-charges, &c. are most exorbitant; and as
to the custom-house, it is the worst conducted public office, perhaps,
in the world. It is impossible to get a ship cleared for several days
without the payment of a large fee.
For the next week we had some good runs. On the 5th of March,
in latitude 15° N., numerous turtles floated past the vessel, in a calm
with light airs; a boat was lowered, the oars muffled, and We pulled
for the nearest. We got within five or six yards of him, when
the tyndal, or coxswain, slipped overboard, and swimming towards
the dosing testudo, laid hold of his hind flipper, and capsizing him
in the water, held on. The turtle made some desperate efforts to
dive and recover himself, but a hand in the boat got hold of one of
his fore flippers, and we secured him. In this way we caught three,
a hand standing ready with the grains to plunge into their breasts,
in case we had failed in mastering them as above. They were the
Ascension turtle (testudo my das), with two nails on the fore feet and
one on the hind: the largest weighed three hundred pounds, and was
in capital case. They seemed to be steering for Edmonstorte's Island,
at the Sand-Heads, where they repair to lay their eggs; I observed,
also, a hunch-backed turtle, which is considered unwholesome eating.
After the 5 th of Marc We had dead calms. The horizon was ex
ceedingly hazy, and at night the sea was so smooth and glassy that
every little star was accurately reflected in its bosom. It was
ludicrous to observe the mates at one moment whistling for, and
i 2 endeavouring