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



359 



and to look for tortoises. Beck found a large female, and 

 killed it. We are going in tomorrow to skin this tortoise. 

 Williams and King will bring it back and Beck and I will 

 camp over night. 



Nov. 7, 1905. — Went into the tortoise belt with Beck, pre- 

 pared to camp for a few days. After hunting all day we 

 found three tortoises, tied them up and returned to camp. 

 One was a large male, and the other two were females. The 

 large male was grazing along in the grass when found, as a 

 cow or a horse might do. It appeared to be perfectly deaf, as 

 it took no notice whatever of us when we went up to it and 

 yelled ; but as soon as it saw us it drew in its head with a loud 

 hiss. The tortoise belt is two hundred feet in elevation by 

 barometer, and is filled with cactus and brush together with a 

 number of large trees. 



Nov. 8, 1905. — Started out from camp early in the morn- 

 ing. I began skinning a female taken yesterday, while Beck 

 went hunting for more, and made a trail up the mountain. 

 He returned in the evening and we went back to camp. 



Nov. 9, 1905. — Started out from camp, and by noon had 

 finished the female I worked on yesterday. Hunter and King 

 came up today and we three started for the coast with the two 

 tortoises. Beck stayed in camp and found another tortoise 

 in the afternoon. He also struck the trail of a large one, 

 which he came up with toward evening. He killed this one, 

 and returned to camp. 



Nov. 10, 1905. — Went back to camp again with Ochsner. 

 Hunter and King. Ochsner and King finished skinning a 

 small female, and took it down to the coast. Hunter, Beck 

 and myself went to the big male found yesterday, and par- 

 tially skinned him so that he could be taken out next day. 

 We returned to the ship by dark. 



Nov. 11, 1905. — Stayed on board all day and prepared 

 tortoises. Blew some eggs and straightened things up in 

 general. Beck and the rest of the party went in after the big 

 tortoise. Beck took some pictures of the party carrying the 

 tortoise down a cliff which has to be climbed in order to 

 reach the interior. 



Nov. 12, 1905.— All hands resting. 



