Page 107
An. 1684
Sea-Tortoise, and their Kinds.
There is another sort of Green Turtle in the South Seas which are but small, yet pretty sweet: These lye Westward on the Coast of Mexico. One thing is very strange and remarkable in these Crea- tures; that at the breeding time they leave for 2 or 3 Months their common haunts where they feed most of the Year, and resort to other places, only to lay their Eggs: And 'tis not thought that they eat any thing during this Season: So that both He's and She's, grow very lean; but the He's to that de- gree that none will eat them. The most remark- able places that I did ever hear of for their breeding, is at an Island in the West Indies called Caimanes, and the Isle Ascention in the Western Qcean: and when the breeding time is past there are none remaining. Doubt- less they swim some hundreds of Leagues to come to those two places: For it hath been often obser- ved that at Caimanes, at the breeding time, there are found all those sorts of Turtle before described. The South Keys of Cuba are above 40 Leagues from thence; which is the nearest place that these Crea- tures can come from: and it is most certain, that there could not live so many there as come here in one Season.
Those that go to lay at Ascention must needs travel much farther; for there is no Land nearer it than 300 Leagues: And it is certain that these Crea- tures live always near the shore. In the South Sea likewise the Gallapagos is the place where they live the biggest part of the Year; yet they go from thence at their Season over to the Main, to lay their Eggs; which is 100 Leagues, the nearest place. Altho' multitudes of these Turtles go from their common places of feeding and abode, to those laying places, yet they do not all go: And at the time when the Turtle resort to these places to lay their Eggs, they are accompanied with abundance of Fish, especially Sharks; the places which the Turtle then leave be- ing,