Hi Christian,

The American naturalist William Bartram (1739-1823) makes a reference to discovering a soft-shelled turtle (Amyda ferox) during his travels through the southeastern United States.

His account is available online at an archive maintained by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill:

http://docsouth.unc.edu/nc/bartram/bartram.html

Specifically, Chapter VI, page 177 shows a drawing of the turtle as well as a textual description. (Use the Find function in your browser to search the word "turtle" in this html document, and you'll get 4 hits: 3 for turtle doves, and one for the passage on the soft-shelled turtle I am referring to).

A discussion of Bartram's reference to this animal (along with a copy of the drawing) can also be found on p. 261 of an article written by historian Frank N. Egerton (Dept. of History, University of Wisconsin-Parkside) published in July 2007 in the Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America. The article can be accessed here:

http://esapubs.org/bulletin/current/history_list/history25.pdf

This, of course, isn't exactly a reference to HUNTING per se, but it may turn up further leads. In fact, Egerton comments on how Bartram did not find the turtle threatening, so ostensibly he probably did not kill or capture it for hunting or eradication.

Hope this helps!

-- Arshad

Thank you Arshad!

Actually we are researching the hunting of turtles in the Amazon (eighteenth century). I wonder if there was intensive hunting of turtles in the other countries in the same period. I think in making a comparative study.

Dear Sussan:

We apologize for we do not use the english language, the Latin XXI century ;)

Is that Luis Miguel is a fellow of Portugal. And as Brazil and Portugal are sister nations...

Prezada Sussan:

Pedimos desculpas por não utilizarmos o latim do século XXI ;)

É que Luis Miguel é um colega de Portugal. E como Brasil e Portugal são nações irmãs...

Dear Luis Miguel,

I do not know why your posts disappeared.

However, I am also happy to think about the future possibility of working together (co-authored). Definitely I love Portugal, and I travel to Lusitanian lands whenever I can!

With respect to the impact factor, I think a very interesting tool. Although I agree with you. Even for the Humanities do not adopt this rating system, which I find very radical. I think we should adopt, at least partially, this system.

At the moment I and a pupil master's are working on data collection on fishing in the eighteenth century Colonial Brazil. For now, the data collected has been very encouraging. We hope to soon offer the same in any good journal in the area.

Prezado Luis Miguel,

Eu não sei porque suas postagens desapareceram.

Entretanto, também fico contente em pensar na possibilidade futura de um trabalho em conjunto (co-autoria). Definitivamente eu adoro Portugal, e viajo para terras lusitanas sempre que posso!

Com relação ao fator de impacto, acho a ferramenta muito interessante. Embora concorde com você. Mesmo porque, as Ciências Humanas não adotam este sistema de avaliação, o que acho muito radical. Eu penso que poderíamos adotar, ao menos parcialmente, este sistema.

No momento eu e um aluno de mestrado estamos trabalhando no levantamento de dados sobre a pesca no Brasil Colonial do século XVIII. Por enquanto os dados levantados tem sido muito animadores. Esperamos, em breve, disponibilizar os mesmos em algum bom periódico da área.

Dear Christian,

The disappearance of my later comments is in fact very strange. I'm eager to meet you and possibly discuss some future projects. I'm sure that will be very productive. For now I'm finishing some publications and the PhD thesis. As soon as I have all of this done I will recontact you!

All the best,

Um abraço,

Luis!

Good luck with the thesis Luis!

If I can be useful for something, do not think twice to get in contact!

Dear Christian,

I'm writting in English but send a Portuguese paper on historical presence of sea turtles in the Cape verde Islands.

I am presently working in the history of marine mammal presence and hunting in the Atlantic, and I usually come across with lots of pre-modern information of sea turtles. So, if you are interested in Portuguese sources (if you haven't yet assess them) just let me know.

All the best with your research,

Cristina.