1835.] JAMES ISLAND. 361 



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

 in Bank's 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, be- 

 tween 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 8th. 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 breast-plate roasted (as the Gauchos do came con ciiero), 

 with the flesh on it, is very good ; and the young tortoises make 

 excellent soup ; but otherwise 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 



