246 Dr Hancock on Turtles, <^e. 



Caspan — the largest of the fresh water turtles of Guiana, 



Both the flesh and eggs of the Guana are by many people 

 esteemed a great delicacy. I have tasted them, but cannot 

 say I think very highly of either. The flesh and eggs of 

 the turtles, both of the land and rivers, I consider vastly su- 

 perior, whilst they excel in point of flavour. The greater por- 

 tion of gelatine must likewise render them much more nutri- 

 tive. 



The Caspan (so called by the Dutch,) are exceedingly nu- 

 merous up the Essequebo ; and their eggs are exceedingly 

 luscious and nutritive. They contain a great proportion of 

 oil, which resides in the yolk, and is easily separated by mace- 

 ration in water. 



The Indians procure this oil in great quantities merely by 

 throwing tl>e eggs into a corial (a species of boat), mashing and 

 throwing water on them, which causes the oil to rise on the 

 top, whence it is skimmed, and, when settled for a day or two, 

 is quite clear and pellucid. It is a very wholesome and useful 

 kind of oil for the kitchen, and is in common use in the Orin- 

 oko as a culinary article. 



The eggs of birds contain little oil comparatively. Those 

 of the domestic fowl afford about an ounce of oil to the dozen ; 

 but they seem to require a particular operation to elicit the 

 t\\* They are first boiled hard, and the yolks are then taken 

 out and roasted, a small quantity of oil being pressed out 

 whilst hot. Thus they may be said to require the dry opera- 

 tion : no oil could be obtained by the moist one. This oil 

 has been much celebrated for certain purposes in medicine. 

 It is not probable, however, that it possesses any superiority 

 over other bland oils in general. 



When we reflect that the yolk of e^g is employed as one of 

 the most efficient substances for rendering oils miscible with 

 water, a question naturally arises. How the oil can be sepa- 

 rated and collected from the yolks by the above process, for 

 no oil could be gathered by that method from the eggs of the 

 domestic fowl, or of any other birds perhaps ? 



Probably we are to account for it merely from the super- 

 abundance or supersaturating quantity of the oil contained in 

 the turtle eggs, and must conclude, that doubtless a very con- 



