56 TRAVELS IN 
have been glad to fearch the interior part of 
this tomb, as It perhaps contained, along with 
the difmal remains of the captain, the hiftory 
of his death, or fome information refped:ing 
his family and country. Had I been alone, 
I fhould have ventured to difturb his afhes ; 
but before Dutch failors I was very cautious 
not even to propofe it. Refpecl: for the dead 
is among them carried to the greateft excefs. 
With an unpleafant eye they v/ould have be- 
held me lay my hands upon this folitary and 
peaceful tomb ; and, as they are above all 
exceffively fuperftitious, if any acc'tdent had 
afterwards befallen the fhip, they would not 
have failed to afcribe the caufe of it to me, 
I therefore prudently held my tongue; but, on 
quitting the ifland, I privately referved to 
myfelf a right of fome day returning to it. 
We filled our boat with animals of all kinds 
which we had caught. The penguins were; 
not forgotten ; and we extrad:ed abundance of 
oil from them for burning. 
Our failors alfo colled:ed a prodigious quan- 
tity of eggs, which for feveral days fupplied 
us with a nourifhment that v:e found deli- 
cious, and which very feafonably relieved us 
fron^ 
