194 HARVEST OF TORTOISE-EGGS. 



eggs begins soon after sunset, and is continued 

 throughout the night. The animal digs a hole three 

 feet in diameter and two in breadth with its hind 

 feet, which are very long and furnished with crooked 

 claws. So pressing is the desire which it feels to 

 get rid of its burden, that great confusion prevails, 

 and an immense number of eggs is broken. Some 

 of the tortoises are surprised by day before they 

 have finished the operation, and becoming insensi- 

 ble to danger, continue to work with the greatest 

 diligence even in the presence of the fishers. 



The Indians assemble about the beginning of 

 April, and commence operations under the direction 

 of the missionaries, who divide the egg-ground into 

 portions. The leading person among them first 

 examines by means of a long pole or cane how far 

 the bed extends, and then allots the shares. The 

 natives remove the earth with tlieir hands, gather 

 up the eggs, and carry them in baskets to the camp, 

 where they throw them into long wooden troughs 

 filled with water. They are next broken and stirred, 

 and remain exposed to the sun until the yolk, which 

 swims at the surface, has time to inspissate, when 

 it is taken off and boiled. The oil thus obtained is 

 limpid and destitute of smell, and is used for lamps 

 as well as for cooking. The shores of the missions 

 of Uruana furnish 1000 botijas or jars annually, and 

 the three stations jointly may be supposed to furnish 

 5000. It requires 5000 eggs to fill ajar; and if we 

 estimate at 100 or 116 the number which one tor- 

 toise produces, and allow one-third to be broken at 

 the time of laying, we may presume that 330,000 of 

 these animals assemble every year, and lay 33,000,000 

 of eggs. This calculation, however, is much below 

 the truth. Many of them lay only 60 or 70 ; great num- 

 bers of them again are devoured by jaguars ; the In- 

 dians take away a considerable quantity to eat them 

 dried in the sun, and break nearly as many while 

 gathering them ; and, besides, the proportion that is 



