et, we steered for the island, guided by the
light of the camp-fire. We were welcomed with loud shouts by the
generally impassive Indians, who were delighted with the supply of flesh
which we had brought. No time was lost in cutting the meat into small
pieces, each person fastening a dozen or more on long skewers. These
were stuck in the ground, and slanted over the flames to roast. The
meat tasted somewhat like pork, I thought, but John considered it more
like beef.

We were one evening approaching a long island with a sand-bank extending
from its side. Isoro told us that the Indians were unable to proceed
further, and that after this we should find the navigation tolerably
easy. The sand-bank, he said, was frequented by turtles, and they hoped
to be able to supply us and themselves with a good store of eggs, and to
catch also some turtles.

Having hauled up the canoes, and formed our sleeping-places as usual,
leaving Domingos in charge of the camp, we all, including Ellen and
Maria, set out to search for turtles' eggs, our Indians having in the
meantime woven a number of baskets of reeds in which to carry them.
Each of the Indians carried a long stick in his hand. We proceeded a
short distance along the bank, till we came to a somewhat higher part.
The sand felt quite hot to our feet. The Indians pointed out some
slight marks in it, which they told us were made by the turtles. Going
on, one of them stuck his stick into the sand. It sank easily down.
Instantly he and his companions were on their knees digging with their
hands, and soon cleared out a hole full of eggs. Upwards of one hundred
were collected from that hole alone. In the meantime the rest were
searching about, and we were soon all on our knees, busily engaged in
picking up the eggs. The eggs were about an inch and a half in
diameter, somewhat larger than an ordinary hen's egg. They have thin
leathery shells, an oily yoke, and a white which does not coagulate.
Having laden ourselves with as many as we could carry in our baskets, we
returned to the camp. Domingos at once set to work to make cakes,
mixing the eggs with flour. Others were roasted. The Indians, however,
ate them raw.

While we sat round our camp-fire, Isoro excited our curiosity by an
account of the way the turtles lay their eggs, and we agreed to start
away the next morning before daybreak to watch the process. He called
us about two hours before daybreak. We found that N