Page 229 - Malay sketches

WITH A CASTING-NET

As soon as the river rises watchers are stationed
on the sands, and the turtles are said to lay three
times. The nests are dug between two and three
feet under the sand, and contain from about fifteen
to thirty-five eggs each. During the laying season
boats are not allowed to stop at the sands for fear
they should disturb the turtles.
When the first set of eggs has been laid and the
turtles have returned to the river, the watchers
open the nests and send the eggs up to the Sultan.
The second set of nests is opened by the royal
party, and the third is left to hatch, an operation
that takes six months. There is no sitting, the
young turtles simply emerge from the sand, walk
down into the river and swim away.
It is said that if the first and second nests are
left untouched, the turtles themselves open them
and scatter and destroy the eggs ; but that, after
the third "lay," they take their departure, having
accomplished their task.
Directly the watchers report that the turtles
have made the second nests, the Sultan and his
with the chiefs and their
family, neighbouring
families, take boat and paddle down the stream to
Pasir Telor.
Fifteen or twenty large house-boats and several
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