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



339 



Nov. 1, 1905. — Went ashore at Turtle Cove and worked up 

 the trail toward the settlement. Expect to go tomorrow along 

 the coast in the direction of Iguana Cove, to look for some 

 tortoises that the natives say are near the shore. 



Nov. 2, 1905. — Went down the coast west of Vilamil about 

 six miles to look for tortoises where Beck found them before. 

 The country is level and cut up with cattle trails. We found 

 five tortoises during the day. They all were taken near the 

 cattle trails, in small patches they had dug up under the bushes. 

 As they were found fairly near the beach, we brought four 

 aboard alive, only skinning one that was farthest inland. These 

 were the only tortoises seen by the party, but we could not 

 well have taken more in the boat. We did not cover a great 

 amount of country, and the tortoises may be fairly common 

 in this locality. 



Nov. 3, 1905. — I stayed on board all day skinning tortoises 

 and iguanas. • Mr. Beck bought another small tortoise from 

 the natives today. We expect to sail for Indefatigable to- 

 morrow to look for more tortoises in a different locality. 



March 5, 1906. — I went up the trail toward the settlement 

 (at Vilamil) but saw no reptiles except lizards. The country 

 is a large plain of lava covered sparingly with cactus and brush. 



March 6, 1906. — Went down the coast north of the port and 

 found nothing. The country is a desert of lava. It was a 

 day wasted as far as enlarging the collection was concerned, 

 but I at least found out what the country is like. 



March 7, 1906. — Went up the trail toward the settlement 

 and collected more lizards, but saw no other reptiles. The 

 weather is very hot now and has been so for several days 

 past. Hunter and Gifford went up to the settlement collecting. 

 They report seeing hundreds of bones of tortoises along the 

 trail and at several water-holes where the tortoises used to 

 gather. No live tortoises were seen below the settlement, and 

 the natives say all have been killed off there, and that they no 

 longer are abundant on the mountain. 



March 8-9, 1906. — Worked on board ship. 



March 10, 1906. — I worked on board in the morning, and 

 in the afternoon we sailed about ten miles down the coast 

 toward Iguana Cove, and anchored at eight o'clock. 



March 11, 1906. — Mr. Beck went ashore and found two 

 tortoises. 



