21-8 LEAVES FROM THE 



about, as the shades of evening deepened, for some insu- 

 lated rock in the desert on which he might repose, secure 

 from tlie fierce or poisonous animals that infested those 

 dreary wilds. At length, just as darkness overtook him, 

 he saw what he wanted, climbed it, found a good flat 

 place on its summit, lay down, and soon forgot the 

 labours of the past day in a heavy slumber, from which 

 he awoke not till the sun was up, and then he found that 

 his dormitory had been moved nearly three thousand 

 paces from the spot where he had laid down. This made 

 him look about him, when he discovered that what he 

 had taken for a rock was a tortoise, that had gone on 

 feeding during the night, but at so imperceptibly slow a 

 pace that the sleeper was not aware of the motion. 



The gi'eat Galapagos tortoises which have hitherto been 

 brought to this country have never lived long. They 

 have thriven apparently till the time of hybernation ar- 

 rived, and then have slept never to wake again. The re- 

 turning spring has always found them dead. Whether 

 they have not the means of properly laying themselves 

 up and of reposing in the temjDerature exactly suited to 

 their case, or have been fed too liberally on lettuce, which 

 acts as an opiate when taken in any large quantity, are 

 questions that have been considered, but as yet have not 

 been satisfactorily answered. Taking into the account 

 their usual diet in a state of nature, it may be questioned 

 whether it is advisable to feed these gigantic tortoises so 

 much on lettuces. The quantity of opium which must 

 find its way into the system under so large a consump- 

 tion must be very considerable ; and it would be as well 

 to try the effect of a supply of other succulent vegetables, 

 such as gourds and cabbages, with a fair proportion of 

 lettuce. And yet the ' old tortoise' immortalized by 

 White selected milky plants, such as lettuces, dandelions, 

 and sow-thistles, as its favourite dish ; and for years con- 

 tinued to rethe under gi'ound about the middle of ISTovem. 



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