Cu. I.] OF THE DODO. 9 
1. In the published narrative of this Voyage, it is stated that they found in the island 
a variety of pigeons, parroquets, and other birds, among which were some which they deno- 
minated Walckvogel, the size of swans, with a large head furnished with a kind of hood; no 
wings, but in place of them three or four small black quills; and the tail consisted of four or 
five curled plumes of a grey colour. The Dutch sailors called them Walchvégel, or disgusting 
dirds, from the toughness of their flesh, as might be expected in the strongly developed crural 
muscles of a cursorial bird, though they found the pectoral muscles more palatable. The 
ample supply of turtle-doves also caused the Walchvégel to be the less esteemed. 
The following is De Bry’s version of this account, and in cases where the French transla- 
tion (Amsterdam, 1601) differs in sense, the latter is quoted also : 
“Tnsula dicta preeterquam quod terre nascentibus feracissima sit, volucres etiam copiosissimas 
alit, ut sunt, turtures, qui tanta ibi copia obversantur, ut termi nostrum dimidii diei spatio 150 aliquando 
ceperimus, plures facilé prehensuri manibus, aut ccesuri fustibus, si illorum onere non nimium nos 
pressos sensissemus. Czrulei quoque psittaci (“parroguets gris,” Fr.) ibi frequentes sunt ut et aves 
ali : praeter quas genus aliud quoque grandius conspicitur, cygnis nostris majus (“de la grandeur de 
nos Cignes,” Fr.) capitibus vastis, et pelle ex dimidia parte q. cucullis investitis. Hee aves alis carent : 
quarum loco tres quatuorve penne nigriores prodeunt. Caudam cgnstituunt paucule incurve penne 
tenertuscule, (“aw heu du Cap, ont ils quatre ou cineg plumettes crespues,’ Fr.) colorem cineris 
referentes. Has nos Walcekvégel appellitabamus, hance ob causam, quod quo longius seu diutius 
elixarentur, plus lentescerent et esui ineptiores fierent. Tllarum tamen ventres et pectora saporis 
jucundi et masticationis facilis erant ; (“voire fort coriaces, mais estoient medicine pour V estomach et 
la powctrine,’ Fr.). Appellationis causa altera erat, quod turtures ibi optabili copia nobis sufficerent, 
saporis longe gratioris et suavioris.”—De Bry, pars V. p. 7. 
The quaint old print, of which a fac-simile is annexed, exhibits the voyagers revelling in 
the abundance of this virgin isle. I will not spoil by translation the refreshing simplicity of 
the Batavo-Gallic description which accompanies it. 
* Declaration de ce qu avons veu et trouvé sur l Isle Maurice, et de ce qui est par nous executé. No. 2. 
“J. Sont Tortues qui se tiennent sur |’ haut pays, frustez d’aisles pour nager, de telle grandeur, 
qu ils chargent ung- homme et rampent encore fort roidement; prennent aussi des Hscriuisses de la 
grandeur d’un pied, qu’ ils mengent. 
''The earliest account of this voyage which I haye seen, was published in folio at Amsterdam, by Corneille 
Nicolas in 1601, and a second edition in 1609, both of which are bound up ina folio volume of rare tracts, 
preserved in the Radeliffe Library. It is entitled ‘Le second Livre, Journal ou Comptoir, contenant le vray Dis- 
cours et Narration historique du voyage faict par les huict Navires d’ Amsterdam au mois de Mars l’ An 1598 soubs 
la conduitte de ? Admiral Jaques Corneille Necq, et du Vice-Admiral Wibrant de Warwicq.’ Dutch and German 
editions were published at the same time, the latter by Hulsius, Nizmberg, 1602, and Frankfort, 1605; a Latin 
translation of it occupies the fifth part of De Bry’s India Orientalis, 1601, and an English version appeared the 
same year in London. Editions were also published in quarto at Amsterdam in 1648 and 1650; M. de Blainville 
is therefore in error when he states (Nouv. Ann. Mus. H. N. vol.iv. p.4) that the first account of this voyage 
was published at Rouen in 1725. 
