Cap. XXI. T^Caribby-lflands. 



hundred pound , nay fome of them will have two great pails 

 full of egges in their bellies : Thefe egges are round , and 

 about the bignefs of a Tennis-ball 3 they have white and yolk 

 like Hens-egges, but the (hell is not fo hard, but foft, feeling as 

 if it were wet parchment. The Fricajfeys and Omeletts made 

 of them are good enough, but a little drier then thofe 

 made with Fens-egges. There is fo much meat about one 

 Tortoife as may well maintain fixty perfons a whole day.* 

 When they are defirous to eat of them, they cutofFthe (hell 



, which is under the belly from that on the back, unto which it 

 is joyn'd by certain griftles which are eafily cut What Tor- 

 toifes are taken by the Sea-men in the night, finds them work 

 all day to cut into pieces and fait them. Moft of the Ships 

 which come to thefe Cayeman-Ijlands, after they have taken in 

 their loading, that is, after fix weeks or two moneths continu- 

 ance there, return to the Caribbies, where they fell that faked 

 Tortoife , and it becomes the fuftenance of the ordinary fort of 

 people, and the flaves. • 



But the Tortoifes that have efcaped, having laid their egges 

 at two or three feveral times, return to the place whence they 



» came , the egges which they have cover 'd with fand on the 

 Sea-fide b< ing about fix weeks after hatch'd by the heat of the 

 Sun, and not by their looking on them, as Pliny, and fome of 

 the Ancients imagined : as foon as the young Tortoifes have 

 broken t\he (heljs wherein they were inclos'd, they make their 

 way through the fand, and get out of the grave which gave 

 them birth, and by an inftincl: of nature go (height to the Sea 

 to the old ones. 



The meat of this kind of Tortoife is as dainty as any Veal, 

 fo it be frelh, and kept but one day : It is intermixt with fat, 

 which when it is drefs'd is of a greenifti yellow : It is of eafie 

 digeftion, and very wholfom, whence it comes, that thofe fick 

 perfons who cannot recover in the other Ifhnds are carried to 

 that purpofe to the Cayemans in the Ships that go for Tor- 

 toifes; and commonly having refrefh'd, and purg'd themfelves 

 with that diet, they return thence perfectly recover'd. The 

 fat of this kind of To' toife yields an oyl, which while it is 

 frefh is good enough to fry withall, being (tale it is employ 'd 

 in Lamps. 



CAOVANNE. 



/ ""T"* He Tortoife called the Caouanne is of the fame figure as 

 JL the precedent, fave that the head of it is a little big- 

 ger : This (lands upon the defenfive when people come neer 

 to turn it , but the meat of it being black, full of firings, and 

 of ill tafte, there is no account made of it, but only where 

 other is not to be had j the oyl alfo got from it is good only for 

 Lamps. CARETS. 



