Vol. II, Pt. I] VAN DENBURGH— GALAPAGOS TORTOISES 213 



fectly harmless, as much so as any animal I know of, notwith- 

 standing their threatening appearance. They have no teeth, 

 and of course cannot bite very hard. They take their food into 

 their mouths by the assistance of the sharp edge of the upper 

 and under jaw, which shut together one a little within the 

 other, so as to nip grass, or any flowers, berries, or shrubbery, 

 the only food they eat. 



''Those who have seen the elephant have seen the exact 

 resemblance of the leg and foot of a terrapin. I have thought 

 that I could discover some faint resemblance to that animal in 

 sagacity. They are very prudent in taking care of themselves 

 and their eggs, and in their manner of securing them in their 

 nests; and I have observed on board my own ship, as well as 

 on others, that they can easily be taught to go to any place on 

 the deck which may be fixed for them to be constantly kept in. 

 The method to effect this is by whipping them with a small 

 line when they are out of place, and to take them up and carry 

 them to the place arranged for them, which being repeated a 

 few times will bring them into the practice of going themselves, 

 by being whipped when they are out of their place. They can 

 be taught to eat on board a ship as well as a sheep or a goat, 

 and will live for a long time if there is proper food provided 

 for them. This I always took care to do when in a place where 

 I could procure it. The most suitable to take on board a ship is 

 prickly pear-trees, the trunk of which is a soft, pithy sub- 

 stance, of a sweetish taste, and full of juice. Sometimes I pro- 

 cured grass for them. Either of these being strewed on the 

 quarter-deck, the pear-tree being cut fine, would immediately 

 entice them to come from all parts of the deck to it; and they 

 would eat in their way as well as any domestic animal. I have 

 known them to live several months without food; but they 

 always in that case grow lighter and their fat diminishes, as 

 common sense teaches, notwithstanding some writers have 

 asserted the contrary. If food will fatten animals, to go 

 without it will make them lean, 



'T carried at one time from James Island three hundred 

 very good terrapins to the island of Massa Fuero, and there 

 landed more than one-half of them, after having them sixty 

 days on board my ship. Half of the number landed died as 

 soon as they took food. This was owing to the stomachs 



