216 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Proc. 4th Seu. 



"Although the parties in this employment (which were 

 selected every day, to give all an opportunity of going on 

 shore), indulged themselves in the most ample manner on tor- 

 toise meat (which for them was called Galapagos mutton), 

 yet their relish for this food did not seem in the least abated, 

 nor their exertions to get them on board in the least relaxed, 

 for everyone appeared desirous of securing as large a stock of 

 this provision as possible for the cruise." 



Two vessels captured by Porter — "had been in at James 

 Island, and had supplied themselves abundantly with these 

 extraordinary animals, the tortoises of the Galapagos, which 

 properly deserve the name of the elephant tortoise. Many of 

 them were of a size to weigh upwards of three hundred 

 weight. Numbers of them had been thrown overboard by the 

 crews of the vessels before their capture, to clear them for 

 action. A few days afterwards, at daylight in the morning, we 

 were so fortunate as to find ourselves surrounded by about 

 fifty of them, which were picked up and brought on board, as 

 they had been lying in the same place where they had been 

 thrown over, incapable of any exertion in that element, except 

 that of stretching out their long necks." 



Two other English vessels captured later, had been only a 

 few days from James Island. Porter — "found on board them 

 eight hundred tortoises of a very large size, and sufficient to 

 furnish all the ships with fresh provisions for one month." 



At another time Porter laid in a very large stock of tor- 

 toises from James Island. 



"Four boats were dispatched every morning for this pur- 

 pose, and returned at night, bringing with them twenty to 

 thirty each, averaging sixty pounds. In four days we had as 

 many on board as would weigh about fourteen tons, which 

 was as much as we could conveniently stow. They were piled 

 up on the quarter-deck for a few days, with an awning spread 

 over to shield them from the sun, which renders them very 

 restless, in order that they might have time to discharge the 

 contents of their stomachs ; after which they were stowed away 

 below, as you would stow any other provisions, and used as 

 occasion required. No description of stock is so convenient for 

 ships to take to sea as the tortoises of these islands. They 

 require no provisions or water for a year, nor is any farther 



