402 
GALAPAGOS ARCHIPELAGO 
CHAP. 
in more detail the habits of both these reptiles. The whole 
of this northern part of Albemarle Island is miserably sterile. 
October 8 th .—We arrived at James Island: this island, as 
well as Charles Island, were long since thus named after our 
kings of the Stuart line. Mr. Bynoe, myself, and our servants 
were left here for a week, with provisions and a tent, whilst 
the Beagle went for water. We found here a party of Spaniards, 
who had been sent from Charles Island to dry fish and to salt 
tortoise-meat. About six miles inland, and at the height of 
nearly 2000 feet, a hovel had been built in which two men 
lived, who were employed in catching tortoises, whilst the 
others were fishing on the coast. I paid this party two visits, 
and slept there one night. As in the other islands, the lower 
region was covered by nearly leafless bushes, but the trees 
were here of a larger growth than elsewhere, several being two 
feet and some even two feet nine inches in diameter. The 
upper region, being kept damp by the clouds, supports a green 
and flourishing vegetation. So damp was the ground, that 
there were large beds of a coarse cyperus, in which great 
numbers of a very small water-rail lived and bred. While 
staying in this upper region, we lived entirely upon tortoise- 
meat : the breast-plate roasted (as the Gauchos do came con 
cuero ), with the flesh on it, is very good ; and the young 
tortoises make excellent soup ; but otherwise the meat to my 
taste is indifferent. 
One day we accompanied a party of the Spaniards in their 
whale-boat to a salina, or lake from which salt is procured. 
After landing, we had a very rough walk over a rugged field 
of recent lava, which has almost surrounded a tuff-crater, at 
the bottom of which the salt-lake lies. The water is only 
three or four inches deep, and rests on a layer of beautifully 
crystallised white salt. The lake is quite circular, and is 
fringed with a border of bright green succulent plants ; the 
almost precipitous walls of the crater are clothed with wood, 
so that the scene was altogether both picturesque and curious. 
A few years since, the sailors belonging to a sealing-vessel 
murdered their captain in this quiet spot ; and we saw his 
skull lying among the bushes. 
During the greater part of our stay of a week, the sky was 
cloudless, and if the trade-wind failed for an hour, the heat 
