There Are
Large Channels Between Some Of These Islands, Capable Of Receiving Ships
Of Moderate Burden.
On the shoals there grows great abundance of
sea-weed, called turtle-grass, owing to which these channels abound in
green turtles or sea-tortoises.
There are several kinds of turtles or
sea-tortoises, as the Trunk, Loggerhead, Hawksbill, and Green
turtles. The first is larger than the rest, and has a rounder and higher
back shell, but is neither so wholesome nor so well tasted; and the same
may be said of the Loggerhead, which feeds on moss from the rocks, and
has its name from its large head. The Hawksbill, so named from having a
long small mouth, like the beak of a hawk, is the smallest species, and
is that which produces the so-much-admired tortoise-shell, of which
cabinets, boxes, combs, and other things are made in Europe, and of this
shell each has from three to four pounds, though some have less. The
flesh of this kind is but indifferent, yet better than that of the
Loggerheads; though these, which are taken between the Sambellos and
Portobello, make those who eat the flesh purge and vomit excessively,
and the same is observed of some other fish in the West Indies.
The laying time of the sea-tortoises is about May, June, and July, a
little sooner or later, and they lay three times each season, eighty or
ninety eggs each time, which are round and as large as an hen's egg, but
covered only with a thin white skin, having no shell. When a tortoise
goes on shore to lay, she is usually an hour before she returns, as she
always chuses her place above high-water mark, where she makes a large
hole with her fins in the sand, in which she lays her eggs, and then
covers them two feet deep with the sand she had raked out. Sometimes
they go on shore the day before, to take a look of the place, and are
sure to return to the same spot next day. People take the tortoises on
this occasion, while on shore in the night, turning them over on their
backs, above high-water mark, and then return to fetch them off next
morning; but a large Green tortoise will give work enough to two stout
men to turn her over. The Green tortoise gets its name from the colour
of the shell, having a small round head, and weighs from 200 to 300
pounds. Its flesh is accounted the best of any, but there are none of
this kind in the South Sea. The sea-tortoises found at the Gallapagos
being a bastard kind of Green tortoises, having thicker shells than
those of the West Indies, and their flesh not so good. They are also
much larger, being frequently two or three feet thick, and their bellies
five feet broad.
They remained twelve or fourteen days at the Gallapagos, during which
time Captain Cooke lived on shore in a very poor state of health. They
also landed 1500 bags of flour, with a large quantity of sweetmeats and
other provisions, on York Island, which they might have recourse to on
any emergency. From one of their prisoners, an Indian of Realejo, they
had a flattering account of the riches of that place, which he alleged
might be easily taken, and for which enterprise he offered to serve them
as a guide. Setting sail therefore from the Gallapagos on the 12th June,
they shaped their course in lat 4 deg. 40' N. with the intention of touching
at the Island of Cocos, [in lat. 5 deg. 27' N. and long. 87 deg. 27' W. from
Greenwich.] This island is seven or eight leagues in circuit, but
uninhabited, and produces a pleasant herb near the sea coast, called
Geamadael by the Spaniards. It is so environed with steep rocks as to
be inaccessible, except on the N.E. where ships may safely ride in a
small bay.
Missing this island, they continued their course towards the continent
of America, and reached Cape Blanco, or Trespuntas, on the coast of
Mexico, in lat. 9 deg. 56' N. in the beginning of July. This cape gets the
name of Blanco, or the White Cape, from two high steep taper white
rocks, like high towers, about half a mile distant. The cape itself is
about the same height with Beachy-head, on the coast of Sussex, being a
full broad point jutting out to sea, and terminated with steep rocks,
while both sides have easy descents to the sea from the flat top, which
is covered with tall trees, and affords a pleasant prospect. On the N.W.
side of the cape the land runs in to the N.E. for four leagues, making a
small bay, called Caldera Bay, at the entrance to which, at the N.W.
side of the cape, a rivulet of fresh water discharges itself into the
sea through very rich low lands abounding in lofty trees. This rich
wooded vale extends a mile N.E. beyond the rivulet, when a savanna
begins, running several leagues into the country, here and there
beautifully interspersed with groves of trees, and covered with
excellent long grass. Deeper into the bay, the low lands are cloathed
with mangroves; but farther into the country the land is higher, partly
covered with woods, and partly consisting of hilly savannas, not so good
as the former, and here the woods consist of short small trees. From the
bottom of this bay one may travel to the lake of Nicaragua over hilly
savannas, a distance of fourteen, or fifteen leagues.[154]
[Footnote 154: The bay of Caldera in the text is evidently the gulf of
Nicoya, from the bottom of which the lake of Nicaragua is distant about
fifty English miles due north. The latitude of Cape Blanco in the text,
9 deg. 56' N. is considerably erroneous, its true latitude being only 9 deg.
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