Comment nous avons (sur Vlsle Maurice, autrement nommée do Cerne) tenu mesnage. No. 2.
1. In the published narrative of this Voyage,1 it is stated that they found in the island
a variety of pigeons, parroquets, and other birds, among which were some which they denominated
Walchoôgel, the size of swans, with a large head furnished with a kind of hood ; no
wings, but in place of them three or four small black quills ; and the tail consisted of four or
five curled plumes of a grey colour. The Dutch sailors called them Walchoôgel, or disgusting
birds, from the toughness of their flesh, as might be expected in the strongly developed crural
muscles of a cursorial bird, though they found the pectoral muscles more palatable. The
ample supply of turtle-doves also caused the Walchoôgel to be the less esteemed.
The following is De Bry’s version of this account, and in cases where the Trench translation
(Amsterdam, 1601) differs in sense, the latter is quoted also :
“ Insula dicta præterquam quod terræ nascentibus feracissima sit, volucres etiam copiosissimas
alit, ut sunt, turtures, qui tanta ibi copia obversantur, ut terni nostrum dimidii diei spatio 150 aliquando
ceperimiis, plures facile prehensuri manibus, aut coesuri fustibus, si illorum onere non nimimn nos
pressos sensissemus. Cærulei quoque psittaci (“parroquets gris ” Fr.) ibi fréquentes sunt ut et aves
aliæ : præter quas genus aliud quoque grandius conspicitur, cygnis nostris majus (“ de la grandeur de
nos Oignes,Fr.) capitibus vastis, et pelle ex dimidia parte q. cucullis investitis. Hæ aves alis carent :
quarum loco très quatuorve pennæ nigriores prod’eunt. Caudam constituunt pauculæ incurvæ pennæ
teneriusculæ, (“ au Heu du Cap, ont ils quatre ou cincq plumettes crespues,” Fr.) colorem cineris
referentes. Has nos Walchoôgel appellitabamus, hanc ob causam, quod quo longius seu diutius
elixarentur, plus lentescerent et esui ineptiores fièrent. Blarum tamen ventres et pectora saporis
jucundi et masticationis facilis erant; (“ voire fo rt coriaces, mais estoient medicine pour V estomach et
lapoictri/uef Fr.). Appellationis causa altera erat, quod turtures ibi optabili copia nobis sufficerent,
saporis longe gratioris et suavioris.”—-De Bry, pars V. p. 7.
The quaint old print, of which a fac-simile is annexed, exhibits the voyagers revelling in
the abundance of this virgin isle. I will not spoil by translation the refreshing simplicity of
the Batavo-Gallic description which accompanies it.
“ Declaration de ce qu’ avons veu et trouvé sur V Isle Maurice, et de ce qui est par nous exécuté. No. 2.
“ 1. Sont Tortues qui se tiennent sur F haut pays, trustez d’aisles pour nager, de telle grandeur,
qu5 ils chargent ung homme et rampent encore fort roidement ; prennent aussi des Escriuisses de la
grandeur d’un pied, qu’ ils mengent.
1 The earliest account of this voyage which I have seen, was published in folio at Amsterdam, by Corneille
Nicolas in 1601, and a second edition in 1609, both of which are bound up in a folio volume of rare tracts,
preserved in the Radcliffe Library. It is entitled ‘ Le second Livre, Journal ou Comptoir, contenant le vray Discours
et Narration historique du voyage faict par les huict Navires d’Amsterdam au mois de Mars l’An 1598 soubs
la conduitte de l’Admirai Jaques Corneille Necq, et du Vice-Admiral Wibrant de Warwicq.’ Dutch and German
editions were published at the same time, the latter by Hulsius, Nürnberg, 1602, and Frankfort, 1605; a Latin
translation of it occupies the fifth part of De Bry’s India Orientalis, 1601, and an English version appeared the
same year in London. Editions were also published in quarto at Amsterdam in 1648 and 1650 ; M. de Blainville
is therefore in error when he states (Nouv. Ann. Mus. H. N. vol. iv. p. 4) that the first account of this voyage
was published at Kouen in 1725.