258 ALEXANDER AGASSIZ 



Captain wanted to give the men shore liberty to fish, 

 bathe, and get all the fruit they wanted, as there were 

 no liquor shops in the way. We stayed there one day ; 

 the men had their fill, and I spent my time much as I 

 did on Chatham. 



Next we went to a small island called Duncan, hop- 

 ing to get a lot of the gigantic land tortoise and lizards 

 peculiar to the island. We found plenty of the latter, 

 but only got one of the former; this I was sorry for, 

 as I depended upon our catch to fill up the Galapagos 

 Islands group in the Pacific Exhibition Room. Still I 

 think the Hassler brought some turtles, and I will have 

 Garman make an exhibit of the reptiles of the group 

 anyway. Townsend is to give me a set of the birds, so 

 that we can make a show at least in the space reserved 

 for oceanic islands in the Pacific Room. At Duncan, 

 I spent the day tramping, hoping to get a turtle or so, 

 but only got very warm and greatly enjoyed the bath at 

 the end of the day in a beautiful clear coral beach 

 where I paddled round until I got well cooled. After 

 dark we steamed to Indefatigable where I write this, 

 and shall start early to-morrow on our regular dredging 

 trip again, and nothing ought to interfere to keep us 

 from dredging to our hearts' content from here to Aca- 

 pulco." 



Shortly before reaching Acapulco he continues : — 



" Here we are within three hundred miles of Aca- 

 pulco, and a more disgusted individual it woidd be diffi- 

 cult to find. After leaving Indefatigable Island we be- 

 gan to dredge ; and I fondly hoped on the weather side 

 of the Galapagos to find a very rich fauna and to make 

 splendid hauls. But time after time the trawl came up 



