hackney-coach, as black as
jet, and covered with a rough shrivelled skin. The neck and legs are
long, and as big as a man's wrist, and they have club-feet as large as a
fist, shaped much like those of an elephant, having five knobs, or thick
nails, on each fore-foot, and only four on the hind-feet. The head is
small, with a visage like that of a snake; and when first surprised they
shrink up their head, neck, and legs under their shell. Some of our men
affirmed that they saw some of these about four feet high, and of vast
size; and that two men mounted on the back of one of these, whom it
easily carried at its usual slow pace, not appearing to regard their
weight. They supposed this one could not weigh less than 700 pounds. The
Spaniards say that there are no others in these seas, except at the
Gallapagos, but they are common in Brazil.

The 15th, being under sail with a fine breeze, we agreed to lay to till
midnight. The 16th, seeing many islands and rocks to the westwards, we
agreed to bear away, not caring to encumber ourselves among them during
the night; but by six in the evening, from the mast-head, we could see
so many low rocks, almost joining from island to island, that we seemed
land-locked for more than three parts of the compass, and no way open
except the S.W. whence we came. We resolved therefore to return that
way, making short trips all night, and continually sounding, for fear of
shoals, having from forty to sixty fathoms. The 18th and 19th we saw
several more islands, one of them very large, which we supposed to be
near the equator. At noon of the 19th we had an observation, making our
latitude 2 deg. 2' N. We saw in all at least fifty islands, some of which we
searched, and others we viewed from a distance, but none had the least
appearance of fresh water.[228] Signior Morel told me that a Spanish
man-of-war had been to an island in lat. 1 deg. 20' or 30' S. 140 Spanish
leagues west from the island of _Plata_, and to which they gave the name
of _Santa Maria del Aguada_, a pleasant island with a good road, full of
wood, and having plenty of water, with turtle and sea-tortoises in
abundance. This I believe to have been the same island in which Davis
the buccaneer recruited; and all the light he has left by which to find
it again, is, that it is to the west of the islands he was at with the
other buccaneers, which must be those we were twice at. We had no
occasion to look out for this island on the prese