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Are there references on turtle hunting in the eighteenth century?

I'm reconstructing maritime subsistence and trade networks in the colonial Caribbean. I've hit a gap regarding the specific, practical logistics of turtling how it was done, by whom, and its scale. My literature review has lots on sugar and slaves, but this specific protein and oil source is under-cited, and I need to anchor my analysis in solid archival or scholarly references.

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By Komal Answered 9 months ago

From my experience in maritime archival research, you'll want to triangulate several source types. First, consult ships' logbooks and muster rolls from colonial ports like Bermuda, Grand Cayman, or Kingston they often list "turtlers" and catches. I've found invaluable data in the Calendar of State Papers, Colonial series. For secondary analysis, I would recommend starting with the foundational work of environmental historians like Richard Grove or Jennifer Anderson's Mahogany: The Costs of Luxury. Also, don't neglect 18th-century natural histories, such as those by William Dampier or Hans Sloane, which often describe indigenous and European hunting methods in detail. Your instinct is correct; it's a niche but critical thread in the colonial resource tapestry.

   

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