in the Pacific Ocean. 



67 



tarns for the express purpose of laying. This opinion seems 

 strengthened by the circumstance of their being no male tortoises 

 among them, the few we found having been taken a considerable 

 distance up the mountains. One remarkable peculiarity in this 

 animal is, that the blood is cold. 



The temperature of the air of the Gallipagos Islands varies 

 from 72« to 75*^ ; that of the blood of the tortoise is always 62"". 

 After the most diligent search, no appearance of fresh water could 

 be found in the neighbourhood of the place where the tortoises 

 were taken, although some of the seamen searched to a consi- 

 derable distance from the sea shore. Yet each of these animals 

 had in its stomach or reservoir from one to two gallons, of a taste 

 by no means disagreeable, and such as thirst would readily induce 

 any person to use. From this circumstance, as well as from the 

 verdant appearance of the interior, I should be induced to be- 

 lieve, that this island furnishes springs of water in its mountains, 

 but that they are soaked up by the loose and thirsty lava and 

 cinders, of which it is chiefly composed, long before they can 

 reach the sea. The eggs of the tortoise are perfectly round, 

 white, and of two and a half inches diameter. They are far from 

 being a delicacy when cooked, as they are dry, tasteles, and the 

 yolk is little better than saw-dust in the mouth. 



The sea and land guanas abound at this island ; flamingoes 

 and teal of an excellent quality, may be killed in a salt lagoon, a 

 few rods back of the beach opposite to where the ships lay ; and 

 the species of doves formerly mentioned may be killed with the 

 greatest ease, in any numbers, in every part of the island. They 

 are fat and delicious ; and the land guana is superior in excel- 

 lence to the squirrel or rabbit. Fish were caught in considerable 

 abundance, with our seine as well as with hooks and lines, along- 

 side the ship, and with our boats near the rocks. We did not re- 

 sort to the first mentioned expedient through scarcit}^, but for the 

 sake of procuring a greater variety, as we were thereby enabled 

 to take mullet of a superior quality, and other fish that do not 

 bite at a hook. The rock-fish did not here yield in abundance 

 or excellence to any place we had yet been in ; and among other 

 delicacies we were enabled with ease to supply ourselves abun- 

 dantly with cray-fish, at low water, among the rocks, where they 

 were caught by hand. 



We found Captain Colnefs chart of tlie island, as far as he 

 surveyed it, sufficiently accurate for our purpose. But we neither 

 found his delightful groves, his rivulets of water, nor his seats 

 formed by the buccaneers of earth and stone, where we might re- 

 repose ourselves after our fruitless search for them. 



Having entirely changed the appearance of the ship, so that 

 :sbe could not be known from description, or taken for a frigate ^ 



