EXPE.DITION TO SURINAM. 



Bonny's houfe were the private baths, where his women 

 wallied themfelves morning and evening, there being no 

 river near this fettlement. 



In this encampment one of onr flaves prefented me 

 with a land-tiirtky which indeed we had met with feve- 

 fal times before ; but as I have never defcribed this ani- 

 mal, I will nov/ endeavour to give fome account of it.— • 

 The land-turtle of Surinam is not more than eighteen or 

 twenty inches in length, and of an oval form ; the flieli 

 is more convex than that of the fea-turtle, and marked 

 with thirteen elevated hexangular fliields, dark brown 

 and yellow, fo hard that it will bear almofl any weight 

 without breaking ; the under fliell is a little concave, and 

 of ^ light yellow: the head of this animal referables that 

 of other turtles ; the tail is naked and fliort, but inflead 

 of fins or fwimmers it has four feet covered with fcaies, 

 and armed with fliarp claws to affift it in crav/ling over 

 the ground. When this poor creature fees any danger, 

 it inftantly flirinks within its fhell. In this fituation the 

 Indians put it on the fire, where they broil it until it is 

 dreft, which is known by the under fliell feparating from 

 the upper, which ferves for a difli to hold the contents. 

 A lefs barbarous way, and the way which I always fol- 

 lowed, is only to provoke the animal by the heat of the 

 embers to run away; when ftretching out its head and 

 neck, they are eafily chopped off, and the food extra6ted 

 without additional torture. I have known Mr. de Graaf 

 keep three or four of thefe land-turtles for above four 



y 2 months 



