DAMPIER'S ACCOUNT. 



179 



The body is as big as the small of a man's Leg, and 

 from the hind quarter the Tail grows tapering to the end, 

 which is very small. 



" If a Man takes hold of the tail, except very near 

 the hindquarter, it will part and break off in one 

 of the Joints, and the Guano will get away. They 

 lay Eggs, as most of those Amphibious creatures do, and 

 are very good to eat. Their flesh is much esteemed by 

 Privateers, who commonly dress them for their sick Men ; 

 for they make very good Broath. . . . The Road is 

 on the N. W. end, against a small cove or little sandy Bay. 

 There is no riding anywhere else, for it is deep water and 

 steep close to the Land. There is one small spring on 

 the West side, and there is sandy Bays round the Island 

 (where the Turtles landed). , . .some of our modem 

 Descriptions * speak of Goats on the Island. I know 

 not what there may have been formerly, but there are none 

 now to my certain knowledge ; for myself and many 

 more of our Crew have been all over it. . . . We staid 

 at the Isle of Blanco not above ten days." 



Blanquilla still swarms with iguanas. They are of a 

 very dark colour, some being almost black. Every little 

 coppice contains at least four or five of them, which on the 

 approach of an intruder remain absolutely motionless 

 in the branches. If seriously alarmed, they either fell 

 plumb to the ground or scrambled down the tree, and 

 then scuttled off with tails held erect, as hard as they 

 could go for their holes, which were generally situated 

 some yards away in the open. From independent 

 researches conducted by the sailors, I am inclined to think 

 that Dampier is correct in stating that when an iguana 

 attempts to escape in this manner, its tail, when suddenly 

 grasped, is hable to come off. 



These iguanas made nothing of climbing the very tall 

 tree-like cactuses (Cereus) which grew among the acacias 

 and guaiacum trees in every little coppice. Over and over 

 again we saw them resting on a perfect chevaux-de-frise 



* Probably The English Pilot," published in l7th century. 



