the air, it re-echoes like a thunderclap, and a cloud of white birds emerges from these cells like a swarm of bees.
I risked passing through the whirlpool in this strait in the hope of catching some fish. The wind was favourable enough to allow me to do this and still be able to control the currents and steer without danger at a good distance from the rocks. One of the islands, part of the crater of a former volcano, was crescent-shaped, and I knew that wrecks were often thrown up on the little sheltered beach in the curve. Everybody knows the passionate interest sailors take in wrecks.
As I rounded the point and came in sight of the little bay, I saw a naked man running towards us over the sand, waving his loin-cloth. There was only a slight breeze and the sea was very calm, so I was able to approach and anchor without danger in the greenish water, through which gleamed the sandy bottom. The man was a Dankali from Obock, a turtle fisher. His companion, who had gone off in a small boat to fetch water and provisions, had not reappeared, and for ten days he had been there alone, living on raw crabs, and passing whole days immersed in the water in order to stave off the tortures of thirst. The raw crabs were precious for the same reason, for the liquid they contain is much lesssalty than sea-water. Their serum, like that of all animals, whether they live on land or in water, has a relatively feeble saline content, which never varies. It is comprehensible, therefore, that its assimilation retards the dehydration of the human organism, which is death from thirst. But the unfortunate fellow was reduced to skin and bone; he was terrible to look at with his prominent cheek-bones and hollow eyes, and what he intended to be a joyous smile looked like the grimace of a death’s head. As soon as he climbed on board, we had to restrain him from hurting himself by drinking too much water. He realized the danger, and had the courage to drink only a mouthful or two. Then we had boiling-hot tea prepared for him. His name was Youssouf. If he had not told us he was twenty-five years old, we should never have been able to assign an age to him, so drawn with starvation was his face. He had come to the island with his brother to fish for turtles.
When they are about to lay their eggs, the sea turtles land on this island at full moon when the tides are highest, for they know that as no other animal comes here they will not be disturbed. If they see the smallest trace in the sand, they go off again to seek a more secure retreat. The sand must be absolutely virgin, giving proof of complete solitude, before this prudent animal will venture to lay its eggs in it. The fisher therefore takes great care to walk only where the sea will efface his footprints. He goes and lies under a rock, in the black shadow thrown by the moon, and for whole nights he lies motionless and silent, watching the water rise gradually higher on the sand.
No sound can be heard but the regular breaking of the waves on those barren rocks. Who could guess, in this solitude, that a man was watching and waiting for his prey? The stars slowly wheel round the sky, and the moon rises ever higher. The bay is soon flooded with its light, and the sand gleams dazzling white against the black basalt of the rocks. Then a dark form emerges from a fringe of foam, and is left gleaming like a wet stone on the beach. The following wave foams over it, then retires, leaving it a little higher on the sand. Soon it is entirely out of the water, and is seen to be an enormous turtle. Her tiny head moves restlessly from side to side as she inspects her surroundings, then heavily, helping herself along with her flippers, she drags herself to a sandbank above the highwater mark. Silently she scoops out a place, and soon her shell sinks down until it is hardly visible. Then she remains motionless, merged intothe sand. If one did not know she was there, one could never find her, but the silent watcher has
I risked passing through the whirlpool in this strait in the hope of catching some fish. The wind was favourable enough to allow me to do this and still be able to control the currents and steer without danger at a good distance from the rocks. One of the islands, part of the crater of a former volcano, was crescent-shaped, and I knew that wrecks were often thrown up on the little sheltered beach in the curve. Everybody knows the passionate interest sailors take in wrecks.
As I rounded the point and came in sight of the little bay, I saw a naked man running towards us over the sand, waving his loin-cloth. There was only a slight breeze and the sea was very calm, so I was able to approach and anchor without danger in the greenish water, through which gleamed the sandy bottom. The man was a Dankali from Obock, a turtle fisher. His companion, who had gone off in a small boat to fetch water and provisions, had not reappeared, and for ten days he had been there alone, living on raw crabs, and passing whole days immersed in the water in order to stave off the tortures of thirst. The raw crabs were precious for the same reason, for the liquid they contain is much lesssalty than sea-water. Their serum, like that of all animals, whether they live on land or in water, has a relatively feeble saline content, which never varies. It is comprehensible, therefore, that its assimilation retards the dehydration of the human organism, which is death from thirst. But the unfortunate fellow was reduced to skin and bone; he was terrible to look at with his prominent cheek-bones and hollow eyes, and what he intended to be a joyous smile looked like the grimace of a death’s head. As soon as he climbed on board, we had to restrain him from hurting himself by drinking too much water. He realized the danger, and had the courage to drink only a mouthful or two. Then we had boiling-hot tea prepared for him. His name was Youssouf. If he had not told us he was twenty-five years old, we should never have been able to assign an age to him, so drawn with starvation was his face. He had come to the island with his brother to fish for turtles.
When they are about to lay their eggs, the sea turtles land on this island at full moon when the tides are highest, for they know that as no other animal comes here they will not be disturbed. If they see the smallest trace in the sand, they go off again to seek a more secure retreat. The sand must be absolutely virgin, giving proof of complete solitude, before this prudent animal will venture to lay its eggs in it. The fisher therefore takes great care to walk only where the sea will efface his footprints. He goes and lies under a rock, in the black shadow thrown by the moon, and for whole nights he lies motionless and silent, watching the water rise gradually higher on the sand.
No sound can be heard but the regular breaking of the waves on those barren rocks. Who could guess, in this solitude, that a man was watching and waiting for his prey? The stars slowly wheel round the sky, and the moon rises ever higher. The bay is soon flooded with its light, and the sand gleams dazzling white against the black basalt of the rocks. Then a dark form emerges from a fringe of foam, and is left gleaming like a wet stone on the beach. The following wave foams over it, then retires, leaving it a little higher on the sand. Soon it is entirely out of the water, and is seen to be an enormous turtle. Her tiny head moves restlessly from side to side as she inspects her surroundings, then heavily, helping herself along with her flippers, she drags herself to a sandbank above the highwater mark. Silently she scoops out a place, and soon her shell sinks down until it is hardly visible. Then she remains motionless, merged intothe sand. If one did not know she was there, one could never find her, but the silent watcher has
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