448 PROF. A. NEWTON ON A LIVING DODO. [June 16, 



dents recorded in his book ; but it is almost certain that he could 

 not have reached Mauritius until 1629*, while Altham, as the letters 

 show, was there in 1628. For the time that the two travellers were 

 in company, however, their tales tally very well. Both mention the 

 mortality which the expedition suffered in the Mozambique Channel, 

 losing the Vice-Admiral, Goodall, " and many a braue gentleman 

 beside ;" both were equally struck with the amazing whiteness of the 

 sea (a phenomenon often observed since) ; and both frequently name 

 the same ships as forming part of the fleet. These facts appear 

 equally in others of Altham's letters (a copy of which has been con- 

 siderately placed in my hands by Dr. Wilmot) and in Herbert's pub- 

 lished 'Travels.' 



To come, however, to the two letters which I exhibited. They 

 bear the same date, and were doubtless written to be sent by differ- 

 ent hands. Both (as before stated) are addressed to the same person, 

 and begin : — 



" Right wo' and louinge brother." 



The first and longest, after recounting the writer's adventures, 

 proceeds : — 



" We were ordered by y e said Councell [of India] to goe to an 

 Hand called y e mauritius lying in 20 d of South latt where wee 

 arriued y e 28 th of may : this Hand hauinge many goates hogs and 

 cowes upon it and very strange fowles called by y e portingals DoDo 

 which for the rareness of the same the like beinge not in y e world 

 but here I have sent you one by m r perce : who did arriue with 

 y e ship william at this Iland y e 10th of June." 



It concludes : — 



" your most louinge brother 



Emanuell Altham./" 



"Juney e 18 th 1628 



ffro y e mauritius." 

 And there is a postscript, written across the margin, as follows : — 



" of m r perce you shall receue a iarr of ginger for my sister : 

 some beades for my Cosins your daughters : and a bird called a 

 DoDo./ ifitliue" 



Its superscription is : — 



" To y c right woo r my most Louinge brother S r Edward Altham at 

 marke Hall, in Essex./ 



" Deliuer./" 



The second letter ends thus : — 



" You shall receue a iarr of India ginger for my sister your wife 

 as alsoe some beades for my Cosins your daughters, and withall a 

 strange fowle : which I had at the Iland mauritius called by y e por- 

 tingalls a DoDo : which for the rareness thereof I hope wilbe welcome 

 to you. 



" mauritius y e 18 th of June 1628 : your most louing brother, 



Emanuell Altham./" 



* Strickland, however, says (I.e.) "1627." 



