1835.] GREAT TORTOISE. 383 
and wallowing in the mud. The larger islands alone possess 
springs, and these are always situated towards the central parts, 
and at a considerable height. The tortoises, therefore, which 
frequent the lower districts, when thirsty, are obliged to travel 
from a long distance. Hence broad and well-beaten paths 
branch off in every direction from the wells down to the sea- 
coast ; and the Spaniards by following them up, first discovered 
the watering-places. “When I landed at Chatham Island, I could 
not imagine what animal travelled so metfiodically along well- 
chosen tracks. Near the springs it was a curious spectacle to 
behold many of these huge creatures, one set eagerly travelling 
onwards with outstretched necks, and another set returning, after 
having drunk their fill, When the: tortoise arrives at the 
spring, quite regardless of any spectator, he buries his head in 
the water above his eyes, and greedily swallows great mouthfulls, 
at the rate of about ten ina minute. The inhabitants say each 
animal stays three or four days in the neighbourhood of the 
water, and then returns to the lower country; but they differed 
respecting the frequency of these visits. The animal probably 
regulates them according to the nature of the food on which it 
has lived. It is, however, certain, that tortoises can subsist 
even on those islands, where there is no other water than what 
falls during a few rainy days in the year. 
I believe it is well ascertained, that the bladder of the frog 
acts as a reservoir for the moisture necessary to its existence: 
such seems to be the case with the tortoise. For some time 
after a visit to the springs, their urinary bladders are distended 
with fluid, which is said gradually to decrease in volume, and to 
become less pure. The inhabitants, when walking in the lower 
district, and overcome with thirst, often take advantage of this 
circumstance, and drink the contents of the bladder if full: in 
one I saw killed, the fluid was quite limpid, and had only a very 
slightly bitter taste. The inhabitants, however, always first 
drink the water in the pericardium, which is described as being 
best. 
The tortoises, when purposely moving towards any point 
travel by night and day, and arrive at their journey’s end much 
sooner than would be expected. The inhabitants, from ob- 
serving marked individuals, consider that they travel a dis 
