1889.] Gigantic Land Tortoises. 105 I 
the different islands. He likewise published the first figure of 
a Galapagos tortoise. 
On Hood's Island he obtained land tortoises in great numbers, 
p. 127. In another visit he could not procure more than fifty 
tortoises, and they small, but " of a quality far superior to those 
found on James Island" (p. 233). In regard to Charles Island 
he says, it "abounds with tortoises, which frequent the springs 
for the sake of the water, and upwards of thirty of them were 
turned on their backs by us, as they came down to drink, during 
the short time we remained there, which was not more than an 
hour and a half But we were enabled to bring down only one, 
and he w^as selected more for his antiquated appearance than for 
his size or supposed excellence. His weight was exactly one 
hundred and ninety -seven pounds, but he was far from being 
considered a large size. Later, between four and five hundred 
were taken on board. They were brought the distance of from 
three to four miles, through thorns and over sharp rocks, yet it 
was no uncommon thing for them to make three and four trips a 
day, each with tortoises weighing from fifty to a hundred weight." 
" 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 tortoise 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 de- 
sirous of securing as large a stock of this provision as possible 
for the cruise" (p. 162). 
On James Island the tortoises must have been very numerous. 
Two vessels captured by Porter near that Island. " 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 i&^ 
days afterwards, at diylight in the morning, we were so fortunate 
as to find ourselves surrounded by about fifty of them, which 
