The Conch Of Eric The Red

Eric the Red raised a conch shell to his lips to signal his Viking ships to start on their westward journey. The wild hordes of Europe used such shells before civilisation came. New England farm wives called their men from the fields with conch horns brought home by New England men who sailed the seven seas. History tells us "shells of the conch were sometimes used as trumpets by the Trojans and by the early Romans." The "Ten Thousand Islands" lie just west of the Everglades of the coast of south western Florida. A maze of winding water passages twines between mangrove-covered shores. Among the small and scattered population are the descendants of pirates and buccaneers, hospitable to a stranger if he asks no personal questions. If he proves inquisitive, he is likely to be told: "We don't aim to inconvenience you none, Mister, but it ain't absolutely necessary to our happiness for you to remain in these parts."

Worming its way in and out between the islands is an arm of the Gulf of Mexico called "Lost Man's River." In its exact centre, miles from the Gulf proper, and enclosed on all sides by black mangroves and their more primeval cousins the spider mangroves, there is an island composed of conch shells. It is an American kitchen midden, built there long years ago by a vanished people. This island covers about an acre, and, curiously, each shell has a round hole drilled through it, each perforation similarly located. Implements of shell and flint and bits of pottery are strewn about. I camped there for several weeks and, at times, the spot reminded me of Dante's Inferno; at others, it was rarely beautiful with moonlight effects and the soft glow of phosphorescent water.

Conchs—which is pronounced kongks—are a sort of giant snail, creeping about with their homes on their backs. Anatomically they are quite similar to other large snails. When moving, the conch extends a considerable portion of its body out of the shell and reaches forward with what is known as the foot, which is armed on the ends with a lonq, curved, knife-like claw. This is pressed into the sea bottom, and the shell is drawn forward by a strong contraction of both the body and the foot.

During each effort a distance of perhaps a foot may be covered. The creature can also turn over in either direction by simply throwing its foot to one side, giving a strong twisting pull after the claw is set.

By: davidbunch

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