4 
SOUTH AMERICA. ‘209 
showed us how to find them. Wherever a portion third 
of the sand seemed smoother than the rest, there-* 
was sure to be a turtle’s nest. On digging down 
with our hands, about nine inches deep, w^e found 
from twenty to thirty white eggs ; in less than an 
hour we got above two hundred. Those which had 
a little black spot or two on the shell we ate the 
same day, as it was a sign that they were not fresh, 
and of course would not keep : those which had no 
speck were put into dry sand, and were good some 
weeks after. 
At midnight, two of our people went to this sand¬ 
bank, while the rest staid to watch the cayman. The 
turtle had advanced on to the sand to lay their eggs, 
and the men got betwixt them and the water; they 
brought off half a dozen very fine and well-fed 
turtle. The egg-shell of the fresh-water turtle is 
not hard like that of the land tortoise, but appears 
like white parchment, and gives way to the pressure 
of the fingers; but it is very tough, and does not 
break. On this sand-bank, close to the forest, we 
found several guana’s nests; but they had never 
more than fourteen eggs a-piece. Thus passed the 
day in exercise and knowledge, till the sun’s declining 
orb reminded us it was time to return to the place 
from whence we had set out. 
The second night’s attempt upon the cayman was 
a repetition of the first, quite unsuccessful. We went 
a fishing the day after, had excellent sport, and re¬ 
turned to experience a third night’s disappointment. 
On the fourth evening, about four o’clock, we began 
p 
