102 HISTORY OF THE [BOOK. i. 



Respecting the mountain crab, which still survives 

 in the larger of these islands, though its final extinc- 

 tion is probably at hand, its history is so wonderful, 

 that I choose rather to give it in the language of 

 others, than in any recital of my own. The authors 

 from whom I transcribe, are Du Tertre and Brown. 

 They both wrote from their own knowledge and per- 

 sonal observation, and the facts which they relate 

 have been repeated to me a thousand times in the 

 West Indies, by persons, who I am sure never knew 

 what has been published on the subject by any author 

 whatever. " These animals" (says Du Tertre) " live 

 " not only in a kind of orderly society in their retreats 

 in the mountains, but regularly once a year march 

 down to the sea-side in a body of some millions at a 

 " time. As they multiply in great numbers, they 

 " choose the months of April or May to begin their 

 " expedition ; and then sally out from the stumps of 

 " hollow trees, from the clefts of rocks, and from the 

 cc holes which they dig for themselves under the sur- 

 " face of the earth. At that time the whole ground 

 " is covered with this band of adventurers ; there is 

 " no setting down one's foot without treading upon 

 them. The sea is their place of destination, and to 

 that they direct their march with right-lined preci- 

 sion. No geometrician could send them to their 

 destined station by a shorter course ; they neither 



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" turn to the right nor to the left whatever obstacles 



" grieved me to the heart to find that he thereby lost much delicious fat." 

 These animals are likewise known in the East Indies. Sir Joseph Banks 

 shot one of them at Batavia, and found it good food. 



