106 SPOETING- ADVENTURES 



another had been pinned by the ankle whilst 

 attempting to climb a tree, and was on the sick 

 list at the time of our visit. These cattle were 

 originally introduced by the Spaniards three or 

 four hundred years ago ; their numbers have of 

 course increased enormously since then ; they 

 appear not to have assumed any particular 

 shade of colour, but every variety was repre- 

 sented as in the tame sort ; in size they were 

 even superior to domestic cattle, which might 

 be accounted for by the excellent pasturage on 

 the island. 



The time had now come for us to be off, so 

 collecting our traps we started for the beach, 

 the colonel and the two damsels accom- 

 panying us. 



We failed to observe any of the terrapin or 

 land tortoise for which these islands used to be 

 so celebrated, and the colonel informed us that 

 they had been taken away by the whalers in 

 such quantities that they were well-nigh exter- 

 minated, but that a few were still to be found 

 on some of the islands, more especially on 



