f HO ) 



liiirli. It was, of course, utterly impossible to carry ofi' tliis creature, which weighed 

 at least 400 lbs. [perhaps nearer 800 lbs. — \V. K.] alive; it was even a question if we 

 could take it when cleaned and prepared. The skull of this specimen measures in 

 length 7-12 inches, while the largest in the British ^Museum, collected by Captain 

 Cookson and said to have belonged to the largest remaining tortoise, is only 5-52 

 inches long. After a tiring joli of three hours, the preparation of this huge .specimen 

 was iinished, and, on darkness supervening, we returned to the puddle, where wo 

 pitched our camp. 



"The following morning, while my fellows again started on a hunt, I tiiiislicd 

 the preparation of the first tortoise of the day liefore. The fellows came back 

 about 11 o'clock. They had found and tied up another tortoise, about 39 inches 

 long. We now had to think about starting on our return, for I had agreed with Adams 

 to meet him the next day at the old hut. We felled a slender tree, whose stem was 

 passed through the shell of the giant, and my two men proceeded to take this load on 

 their backs. Our progress was extremely slow, and every fifteen minutes we had to 

 halt and rest. The road also which we had cut was often too narrow, and had to be 

 widened. At 6 o'clock we stayed our march, as it had begun to rain. The next day 

 although it had rained all night, we set out afresh. I went ahead, iu order to meet 

 Adams at the prearranged time. At 12 o'clock I arrived at the old hut, wet to the 

 skin. At 1 o'clock my men put in an appearance, but without the big tortoise ; it 

 had been too heavy for them, and they had left it behind on the roadside. Shortly 

 after Adams, with the blacky, appeared, having come from the east. Tn the course 

 of the afternoon the men went up the hill again, and brought down the giant shell. 

 As the road along the beach to our headcpiarters was only available at low tide, I 

 remained with the rest for the night in the hut. On the morning of July 25th T set 

 out to our principal camp, while Adams and the three men again went up the hill to 

 fetch in the remainder of the tortoises. I arrived at 2 o'clock at our anchorage. On 

 the 27th I sent the two sailors to the hut with some fresh provisions, as I judged that 

 by now Adams and his men must have got back. On the 28th Adams came back 

 into camp with the two sailors. He had found two more larger-sized tortoises, and 

 all were now being brought down to the hut by the three men he had left behind. 

 Therefore, almost five hours' journey from our anchorage, there were lying five large 

 tortoises, which had to be brought in. Landing at that place was out of the question, 

 on account of the fierce surf and the rocks. Nothing remained, therefore, but to 

 bring them along the troublesome road by the beach. On the evening of ,hdy 2i)th 

 our men appeared with two of the tortoises, and on the 30th we sent all five men, 

 for this time even the cook had to assist, to bring the three remaining ones, which 

 were lying to the west of the hut, down to the ship. On the evening of ,luly 31st 

 they returned, after almost overpowering exertions. Full ten days had it cost us to 

 collect five of the large tortoises. 



" At daybreak on Sunday, August 2n(l, we left Albemarle, where we had been 

 since July 12th. We passed the Grossman Islands, sailing on to Duncan Island, 

 which was uur next place of destination. While south of Duncan Island we got a 

 capital view of the large island of Albemarle. The whole island consists of five huge 

 volcanoes, and Xarborough is a similar sixth giant. 



" We anchored at Duncan Island at 2 o'clock, and we stayed till the evening of 

 August 4tli. ^^■(' were fortunate enough to di.scover (m this island a new species of 

 tortoise, of which, after hard work, we got down eight specimens. The tortoises of 

 Duncan Island are totally diflerent in shape to those of South Albemarle, and are 



