274 GALAPAGOS ARCHIPELAGO. [CHAP. xvn. 



The rocks on the coast abounded with great black lizards, between 

 three and four feet long; and on the hills, an ugly yellowish-brown 

 species was equally common. We saw many of this latter kind, some 

 clumsily running out of our way, and others shuffling into their 

 burrows. I shall presently describe in more detail the habits of both 

 these reptiles. The whole of this northern part of Albemarle Island is 

 miserably sterile. 



October %th. We arrived at James Island: this island, as well as 

 Charles Island, were long since thus named after our kings of the 

 Stuart line. Mr. Bynoe, myself, and our servants were left here for 

 a week, with provisions and a tent, whilst the Beagle went for water. 

 We found here a party of Spaniards, who had been sent from Charles 

 Island to dry fish, and to salt tortoise-meat. About six miles inland, 

 and at the height of nearly 2,000 feet, a hovel had been built in which 

 two men lived who were employed in catching tortoises, whilst the 

 others were fishing on the coast. I paid this party two visits, and 

 slept there one night. As in the other islands, the lower region was 

 covered by nearly leafless bushes, but the trees were here of a larger 

 growth than elsewhere, several being two feet and some even two feet 

 nine inches in diameter. The upper region being kept damp by the 

 clouds, supports a green and flourishing vegetation. So damp was the 

 ground, that there were large beds of a coarse cyperus, in which great 

 numbers of a very small water-rail lived and bred. While staying in 

 this upper region we lived entirely upon tortoise-meat: the breast- 

 plate roasted (as the Gauchos do carne con cuero\ with the flesh on it, 

 is very good ; and the young tortoises make excellent soup; but other- 

 wise the meat to my taste is indifferent 



One day we accompanied a party of the Spaniards in their whale- 

 boat to a salina, or lake from which salt is procured. After landing, 

 we had a very rough walk over a rugged field of recent lava, which ha? 

 almost surrounded a tuff-crater, at the bottom of which the salt-lake 

 lies. The water is only three or four inches deep, and rests on a layer 

 of beautifully crystallized, white salt. The lake is quite circular, and 

 is fringed with a border of bright green succulent plants ; the almost 

 precipitous walls of the crater are clothed with wood, so that the scene 

 was altogether both picturesque and curious. A few years since, the 

 sailors belonging to a sealiug-vessel murdered their captain in this quiet 

 spot ; and we saw his skull lying among the bushes. 



During the greater part of our stay of a week, the sky was cloudless, 

 and if the trade-wind failed for an hour, the heat became very op- 

 pressive. On two days, the thermometer within the tent stood for 

 some hours at 93 ; but in the open air, in the wind and sun, at only 

 85. The sand was extremely hot ; the thermometer placed in some 

 of a brown colour immediately rose to 137, and how much above that 

 it would have risen, I do not know, for it was not graduated any higher. 

 The black sand felt much hotter, so that even in thick boots it was 

 quite disagreeable to walk over it. 



The natural history of these islands is eminently curious, and well 



