with heather. The scenery was not very striking just .
here. We soon past Hurst Castle on the right, which
is the boundary of the Solent. We now had reached
Alum Bay, and we bore out from the land on account
of the numerous rocks. We pass the Needles Rocks
and lighthouse. Proceeding south-east we pass Fresh-
water (where Mr. Tennyson resides) and Freshwater

Bay. We are now some distance from the land, and
the sea is a little ‘choppy, as sailors say. This makes
several of the passengers feel and look very uncom-
fortable.

The mist which hangs over the land prevents a very
clear view of the scenery until we reach Blackgang,
where we can distinguish the Chine. We soon pass
St. Catharine’s Point and Lighthouse. ‘This is the
most southerly point of the Isle of Wight; we there-
forenow steer towards north-east and come in sight of
Ventnor. Here the view is magnificent from the sea.
At the back is the ‘ Undercliff,’ a rugged cliff running
from St. Catharine’s Point to Ventnor. Immediately
past Ventnor we see Bonchurch. ‘This is the village
where Mr. Adams, the author of the Shadow of the
Cross, the Old Man’s Home, the Distant Hills, &c., is
buried. His grave is a block of stone, over which is
placed a cross horizontally, so that a shadow is always
on the stone. The church of Bonchurch is also
worthy of note. It will only seat about twenty
persons ; but service is never held in it now.

We leave Bonchurch behind us, and rounding
Lueccombe we see indistinctly the Chine. We are
still out some way, thereby obtaining a capital view
of the landslip. Passing Luccombe we dip into the
Sandown Bay, and see Shanklin nestling in the
trees at the foot of the cliff, and some little distance
to the right Sandown. The chief attraction at
Shanklin is the Chine, which is a very pretty water-
fall in the midst of a woody walk.

We are allowed about fifteen minutes to see these
two pretty towns, for the steamer takes time in
crossing the mouth of the bay. By-and-by we
pass the Culver cliff, and lose sight of Shanklin
and Sandown. Fareham now presents itself on
the left, while on the right we can now see the Sussex
and Hampshire coasts. We pass between Brading
harbour and the Nab lightship. At Brading is the
cottage and grave of the young cottager, celebrated
by the Rey. Legh Richmond in his Annals of the
Poor. :

We are once more in sight of Ryde, with its pier,
and passing Seaview and St. Helen’s on the left, and
the Warner lightship on the right, we steam to the
end of Ryde pier, where we arrive after being on the
water about five hours. And a very pleasant five
hours it was to some, but not to those who are not
good sailors; and such, probably, will not soon forget
their trip ‘round the Isle of Wight’. E. J. W.

SOMETHING ABOUT TURTLES.

] AM sure some Chatterboxes, if not all, have read
the conversation between the Gryphon and the
Mock Turtle, in Alice in Wonderland. Well, I
am_ going to tell you something about real turtles,
and not mock ones, who live in_a real wonderland,
and not in a mock one,

This wonderland is South America, a very beau-

 

tiful place, where the people, and the animals.
and the birds are quite different from those to be
found in Europe. 3

Turtles are what is called amphibious, that is, they -
are able to live on land or in water. But they are
much fonder of water, and are found sometimes a
very great distance out at sea. Some of them are
very big creatures, and a full-grown turtle has been
found to weigh sixteen hundred pounds. There are
two or three kinds, but the one we know most about
is the ‘ green turtle.’

I cannot say that I admire these reptiles, but still
they remind one of a tortoise which some people
think pretty enough to pet. I need hardly describe
what they are like, but yet I may just say that, like
the snails, they carry their houses on their backs,
and their small heads and feet peep out a little way
from their hard shells.

It is principally their fat that is valued, though
their eggs also are considered a choice morsel.

I will tell you of a frightful slaughter of these
poor creatures, which was made by the Indians of
South America.

It happened on one moonlight night that a party
of European travellers was rowing down a river not
far from the great Amazon, when all of a sudden a
dreadful smell assailed their noses. They could not
think what could possibly cause it, but their native

_ guides were better informed, and with cries of

dehght pulled into shore at’ once, saying, ‘Now we
shall get some spoil !’

On landing they soon came upon an open plain,
and what do you think they saw? Strewn before
them in ghastly array were the corpses of at least
a thousand turtles hacked to pieces, flesh hanging
to portions of the shell, and the whole field streaming
with blood.

It was a sickening sight, and yet one which
brought to their minds a verse of Scripture, which
says, ‘Wheresoever the carcase is, there shall the
eagles be gathered together.’ Foy all over the place
were to be seen the gaunt forms of vultures, some in
the act of gorging, and some half asleep with the
good meals they had made. But who could have
been so cruel as to kill all the poor turtles ?

It evidently was not a set of hungry men; because
so much flesh was left: neither could it have been
wild beasts, for they would have been unable to break
through the turtles’ armour.

But the Indians knew how it all came about, and
gave this explanation. ‘It is now the turtle season
(the time of year was about the middle of August),
and so it is the custom of our tribes to go in large
parties in search of them. Very likely last night
was as fine as it is to-night, for the turtle does not
like bad, dark nights, and our countrymen made a
venture to get supplies both of flesh and eggs,
which they will sell and get a great deal of money
for.’

We may fancy last night, an elderly turtle, perhaps
a queen amongst them, calling her subjects together
and saying, ‘Now is the time for laying our eggs.
We will make a pilgrimage towards the smooth
sand, where we can deposit them easily.’ No sooner
said than done, and with her at their head they begin
their march. d