( «' ) 



scrub and sharp-edged slag, at a shady group of nianzauiUa trees. Silva huuted 

 about, and really at last found a small puddle, in whieli lay a lot of leaves and twigs. 

 That was his water ! We filled my panama hat, and the dirty water was drunk with 

 gusto in spite of its foul taste. Yes, even after thirst was quenched, we drank again, 

 for at all events it was cool and refi'eshing. Last year I drank in Kansas, and also 

 in Wyoming, some water which, under ordinary circumstances, nobody would have 

 touched, but that was the purest spring water compared to this. However, after our 

 drink we were refreshed, and about fi o'clock we reached our caniji. alter an 

 absence of twelve hours. 



" On the following day I again went with Silva and the captain, whom I begged 

 to accompany us, to the place where we had tied up the rest of the tortoises. Two 

 further specimens were carried off. The captain and I carried the bigger one between 

 us on a })ole, and it was the cause of a regular tumliling and stumbling match amongst 

 the slag when we got back. The captain was half dead ; he had smashed ofJ' some 

 lava blocks with his knee, as he said, and when he seized liold of a tree to prevent 

 himself tumbling he found, to his pain and horror, that he had hold of a prickly 

 cactus stem. He swore that never in his life would he again go on such an e.xpedition. 

 He did indeed look badly smashed up ; of clothes he only had rags hanging about 

 him, and his boots were cut to pieces. This was on July 16th. On the following 

 day Adams, Silva, our two sailors, and the black set out to bring in the tortoises we 

 had tied up two days before; in the e\ening they returned, each with a tortoise on 

 his back. Thus we certainly had a considerable number of tortoises in camp, but 

 they were not the gidnt tortmses, which, according to Silva's accouut, existed in the 

 interior. 



" On July 18th, therefore, five of us set out to go farther inland, and, if 

 possible, to get one of these giants. Our party consisted of Adams, Silva, a sailor, 

 our blacky, and myself. We proceeded by the old route, as before. We halted 

 under the manzanilla trees and took in water ; then we proceeded on our march through 

 the scrub, Silva cutting the track with his axe, while the rest followed in single file. 

 Thus we forced our way onwards, and had, up to half-past foiu, encountered perhaps 

 a dozen tortoises. Scattered about in the bushes there were the remains of many 

 large tortoises. 1 took away two perfect skulls and a humerus of 29 centimetres = 

 11 '5 inches. When darkness fell we halted, and one of the tortoises we had found 

 was eaten ; the liver roasted over the wood fire was delicious, but, alas ! our meal was 

 not moistened, for our small supply of water had to be reserved for the next day, 

 when we wanted to push farther into the interior in search of the giants. We dragged 

 together a quantity of grass, and lay down to sleep, but the mosquitos never left us 

 in peace. As soon as dav broke we started again. About 9 o'clock we passed out 

 of the region of Opuntias and Palo-Santos, and reached the middle zone, the more 

 wooded region. Here we noticed the same trees as on Chatham Island, but in addition 

 a large tree with ash-like foliage and small white flowers in bunches, called Savoncillo. 

 The ground is covered with high grass. On the trees, and in many places also on the 

 ground, was a large orchid, but, as on Chatham, flowerless. Giant creepers climbed 

 all over the trees, as well as a convolvulus with enormous white flowers. Uj) till 

 11 o'clock we had met again more than a dozen tortoises, but not one that reached 

 our ideal point of size. We encamped now, and killed a tortoise to eat. Unfortu- 

 nately our water was nearly used up. ^\'e only had enough for a cup of tea all 

 round. If we had known if we could find water we would have proceeded, but it 

 was priibablr I hat none existed in the inmiediatc' surrouuding.s. Notliing remained 



