Sept.] 



ELEPHANT TORTOISES. 



125 



gable, James's, Albemarle, Narborough's, Abingdon, Bindloe's, Tower's, 

 Wenman's, Culpepper's, and Barrington's. 



The name of this archipelago is derived from the Spanish word 

 " galapago" a fresh-water tortoise, and it was given to these islands 

 because they abound with the largest class of those animals, a species 

 of terrapin, to which Commodore Porter gave the name of " elephant 

 tortoise" as their legs, feet, and motions strongly resemble those of 

 an elephant. " Many of them," says he, " are of a size to weigh up- 

 wards of three hundred weight; and nothing, perhaps, can be more 

 disagreeable or clumsy than they are in their external appearance. 

 Their steps are slow, regular, and heavy ; they carry their bodies 

 about a foot from the ground ; their neck is from eighteen inches to 

 two feet in length, and very slender ; their head is proportioned to it, 

 and strongly resembles that of a serpent. But what seems the most 

 extraordinary in this animal, is the length of time that it can exist 

 without food ; for I have been well assured," continues the commo- 

 dore, 44 that they have been piled away among casks, in the hold of a 

 ship, where they have been kept eighteen months, and when killed a* 

 the expiration of that time, were found to have suffered no diminution 

 in fatness or excellence. They carry with them a constant supply of 

 water, in a bag at the root of the neck, which contains about two gal- 

 lons ; and on tasting that found in those we killed on board, it proved 

 perfectly fresh and sweet. They are very restless when exposed to 

 the light and heat of the sun, but will lie in the dark from one year's 

 end to the other, without moving."* 



I shall embrace this occasion to add my feeble testimony to the 

 correctness of Commodore Porter's statements generally, during his 

 interesting and glorious cruise in the Pacific Ocean, in the years 1812, 

 1813, and 1814. His descriptions of various parts of the coast and 

 islands have much assisted me in my subsequent visits to the same 

 places, and may be depended upon as correct, particularly as regards 

 his remarks on the Gallapagos Islands. 



There is no doubt that these islands are all of volcanic origin ; and 

 have, generally speaking, always been barren, with the exception of a 

 kind of stunted brushwood that grew upon them. But of late years 

 they have become more fertile, both the upland and valleys being now 

 tolerably well wooded, over a good and rich soil, which wants nothing 

 but a more liberal supply of moisture. The sides of hills near the 

 shore are covered with prickly-pear-trees, upon which the land-tortoises 

 feed and thrive in a most wonderful manner. These animals grow to 

 even a greater size than that mentioned by Commodore Porter, as I have 

 seen some that would weigh from six to eight hundred pounds. They 

 are excellent food, and have no doubt saved the lives of thousands of 

 seamen employed in the whale-fishery in those seas, both Americans 

 and Englishmen. I have known whale-ships to take from six to nine 

 hundred of the smallest size of these tortoises on board, when about 

 leaving the islands for their cruising grounds ; thus providing them- 

 selves with fresh provisions for six or eight months, and securing the 



* See Porter's Journal, p. 47. 



