Johnny expressed a fervent wish that he was a painter, in order that we
might sail round the island, take sketches of the scenery, and then
paint a panorama, embracing all the best views, by exhibiting which at
twenty-five cents a head, we should all make our fortunes upon getting
home. He appeared to have some doubts, however, whether that particular
time of day could be painted, even by the most accomplished artist. The
lagoon channel wound through fields of branching coral trees of
luxuriant growth, among which, numbers of large fish were moving
sluggishly about, as if they had got up too early, and were more than
half inclined to indulge in another nap. As we passed over a sort of
bar, where there was not more than a fathom and a half of water, we
espied an immense green turtle at the bottom, quietly pursuing his way
across our track, and though by no means a beautiful creature, looking
infinitely happier and more lively than the dull-eyed wretches of his
race, which I have seen lying on their backs, at the doors of the New
York restaurants, ready to be converted into soup and steaks. Johnny
mourned over the impracticability of making any attempt at his capture,
and heaved a sigh which seemed to come from the bottom of his heart, as
the unsightly reptile disappeared among the mazes of the submarine
shrubbery. The hardship of the case, seemed to be greatly aggravated in
his eyes, as he contrasted it with the better fortune of Robinson Crusoe
and the Swiss Family, the former of whom, as he reminded us, caught "any
quantity of turtles" on the beach of his island, with no other trouble
than that of turning them over upon their backs; while the latter,
having surprised an enormous fellow taking an afternoon nap on the
surface of the water, treacherously harpooned him in his sleep, and
then, steering him as easily as one would drive a well-broken nag,
compelled him to tow themselves and their pinnace ashore.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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