Touching at Ascension on our way from India, for the express purpose of obtaining a supply of turtles, I had an opportunity of witnessing the facility with which they may be taken at certain seasons, when in the act of copulation; as happened while we were there, in January. The turtles floated in pairs, in a state approaching to lethargy; allowing our whale boats to run along-side of them, without, in general, being alarmed. The first object was to pass a boat-hook over each shoulder of the male, to prevent his escape; for, on being touched, these invariably quitted their mates, and endeavored to strike downwards. The instant the boat-hooks, were placed, their inverted points acting as curbs, a third hand dexterously passed the noose over the fipper, and left the turtle in charge of a second or third boat, to which the other end of the noose line was fastened. In that manner we took about a dozen one morning, in less than two hours; but were not equally successful in our operations on shore. There we hid ourselves, about night-fall, behind the masses of rock every where scattered on the beach, and, allowing the females to pass us, with the intention of depositing their eggs in the dry sand, beyond the reach of the surf, endeavored to intercept them in their way back to the water. Not a doubt was entertained that we should turn them over by scores; but, with the exception of one unfortunate female, which by chance ran headlong against a crag, our hopes proved to be visionary. The awkward gait of these unwieldy animals, added to the clouds of light sand they threw up, completely defeated our most zealous exertions. We had recourse to our oars, placing them in the way of the turtle, and using them as levers wherewith to overturn the shuffling animals; but in every attempt the turtle only slipped a little to one side: therefore, after breaking several oars, we found it expedient to desist.