37^ ALBEMARLE ISLAND. [chap. xvii. 



summit of one of the great craters. In the evening we 

 anchored at Banks' Cove, in Albemarle Island. The 

 next morning I went out walking. To the south of 

 the broken tuff-crater, in which the Beagle was anchored, 

 there was another beautifully symmetrical one of an elliptic 

 form ; its longer axis was a little less than a mile, and its 

 depth about 500 feet. At its bottom there was a shallow- 

 lake, in the middle of which a tiny crater formed an islet. 

 The day was overpoweringly hot, and the lake looked 

 clear and blue : I hurried down the cindery slope, and 

 choked with dust eagerly tasted the water — but to my 

 sorrow, I found it salt as brine. 



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 2000 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 breastplate roasted (as the Gauchos do 

 came con cuero), with the flesh on it, is very good ; and the 

 young tortoises make excellent soup ; but otherwise the 

 meat to my taste is indifferent. 



