Darwin describes the tortoise
1835 CE • The Galapagos
"The Bay swarmed with animals; Fishes, Sharks, & Turtles were popping their heads up in all parts. Fishing lines were soon put overboard & great numbers of fine fish 2 & even 3 feet long were caught. This sport makes all hands very merry; loud laughter & the heavy flapping of the fish are heard on every side. After dinner a party went on shore to try to catch Tortoise, but were unsuccessful. These islands appear paradises for the whole family of Reptiles. Besides three kinds of Turtles, the Tortoise is so abundant that [a] single ship's company here caught 500-800 in a short time."
Charles Darwin and R. D. Keynes. Charles Darwin's Beagle Diary (Cambridge Cambridgeshire: Cambridge University Press, 1988), 353.
Image: Lionel Pincus and Princess Firyal Map Division, The New York Public Library. "Pacific Ocean showing part of North and South America."The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1734.
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