of the Dodo {Didus ineptus Lin.). 443 



long continue to exist in any country to which mankind ex- 

 tended their dominion. This will account for its being found 

 only in those islands of the Indian Ocean which, on their first dis- 

 covery by Europeans, were uninhabited, or difficult of access to 

 the nearest people. The group which is situated to the east- 

 ward of Madagascar, consisting of Bourbon, Mauritius, and 

 Rodrigue, were almost the only islands of this description met 

 with by the early circumnavigators of the Cape ; and it is 

 there that we find the last traces of this very remarkable bird, 

 which disappeared, of course, from Bourbon and the Mauri- 

 tius Jirst, on account of their being more visited and finally 

 colonised by the French ; and lastly from Rodrigue, an island 

 extremely difficult of access, and without any bay or safe anchor- 



age for shipping. Having resided some years amongst those 

 islands, inclusive of Madagascar, and being curious to find 

 whether any testimony could be obtained on the spot, as to 

 the existence of the dodo in any of the islands of this or the 

 neighbouring archipelagoes, I may venture to say, that no 

 traces of any kind could be found, no more than of the truth of 

 the beautiful tale ofPaulafid Virginia, although a very general 

 belief prevailed as to both the one and the other. I there dis- 

 covered, however, a copy of the scarce and curious voyage of 

 Leguat, who, and his companions, appear to have been the 

 first residents of Rodrigue ; and, although some allowances 

 appear to be necessary on account of the period in which he 

 wrote, for descriptions and drawings apparently from memory, 



GG 2 



