This specimen has been very recently recovered from oblivion, and is now one of the
chief treasures of the Royal Museum at Copenhagen, to which I shall again refer.
15. The latest known testimony as to the existence of Dodos in Mauritius is contained
in a MS. in the British Museum (Sloane MSS. 3668. Plut. cxi. P.) for a reference to which,
as for many other valuable suggestions, I am indebted to J. Wolley, Esq. of Edinburgh, who
has taken much interest in the history of the Dodo, and has liberally communicated the results
of his researches. This document is entitled “ A coppey of Mr. Benj. Harry’s Journall when he
was cheif mate of the Shippe Berkley Castle, Captn. Wm. Talbot then Commander, on a
voyage to the Coste and Bay, 1679, which voyage they wintered at the Maurrisshes.”
The Journal is little more than a ship’s log, containing many rough observations, perhaps
valuable, of a brilliant comet. They left Deptford 19th Nov. 1679, and on their return from
India, being unable to weather the Cape of Good Hope, they determined to make for “ the
Marushes,” the 4th June, 1681. They saw land on the 3d July, and on the 11th they began
to build huts, and they had much labour in spreading their cargo out to dry :—
" After all these turmoyles, and various accidents, wee the beginning 7 ber. brought all to a period:
one parte of our misery wass that that time wee designed "for recreation wee were forct tp.'impt. in
Labour.
“ The ayre whilst wee have been here hath been very temperate neither over.hott nor over cold:
itt hath been showery 3 or 4 Days sucksessively, and showery in the night, sometimes a Sea Brees little
wind morning and evenings.
“ Now having a little respitt I will make a little description of the Island, first of its Producks then
of itts parts: ffirst of winged and feathered ffowle the less passant, are Dodos whose fflesh is very ha/rd.
a small sort of Gees, reasonably good Teele, Curleves, Pasca fflemingos, Turtle Doves, large Batts, many
small Birdes which are good.
“ The Dutch pleading a propriety to the Island because of their settlement have made us pay for
goates Id per pound or Apiece of 8 per head, the which goates are butt reasonably good, these wild, as
allso the Deer which are as large as I believe any in the world, and as good fflesh in their seasons; for
these 3 pie. of 8 per head, Bullocks large 6 pie. of .8 per head; [that] ys for victualling, heer are many
wild hoggs and land turtle which are very good, other small creators on the Land, as Scorpions and
Musketoes, these in small numbers, Eatts and ffleys a multitude, Munkeys of various sorts.
“ In the woodes Eaboney, Box, Iron wood blacke and read, a false but not lasting fire, various
sortes of other wood, though heavy yett good for fiering.
“ In ye Sea and Eiver, green tortoise very good, Shirkes, Doggs, Mulletts, Jackabeirs (butt nott
good though some 70 lb), Breams, Pomfletts, Plaise, a ffishe like a Salmond, and heer soe called but
full of small Boanes forked, severall sortes of read ffish butt nott houlsome, various sortes of small ffish
for the Pann, good oysters and Crabes, Ells large and good.
“ Herbage ffruite and Graine, ifrench or Cidney Beanes, Patatoes, sallating; Pumplemuses, oranges,
Jumboes, Watter and musk Melones, Sugar Cannes, Pumkines, Tobacco that Hellish weed, and many
other things forgotten.”
Such then is the sum of the Historical Evidence which we possess for the existence of
this singular creature. In 1644 the Dutch first colonized the island of Mauritius, and it is
probable that these gigantic fowls, deprived of flight, slow of foot, and useful for food, were
speedily diminished in number, and finally exterminated by the thoughtless rapacity of the
early colonists. Their destruction would be further hastened, or might be mainly caused, by
the Dogs, Cats, and Swine which accompany Man in his migrations, and are speedily naturalized
in the forests. To such animals the eggs and young of the Dodo and other birds would
be a dainty tre a t; and that this is no mere conjecture is proved by Leguat, who tells us,
“ Here, (in Mauritius,) are Hogs of the China kind These beasts do a great deal of
damage to the inhabitants,by devouring all the young animals they can catch.”—p. 170, Eng.ed.
That the destruction of the Dodos was completed by 1693, may be inferred from the
narrative of Leguat, who in that year remained several months in Mauritius, and enumerates
its animal productions at some length, but makes no mention whatever of Dodos. He further
says, “ L’isle etait autrefois toute remplie d’ Oyes et de Canards sauvages; de Poules d’eau,
de Gelinottes, de Tortues de mer et de terre; mais tout cela est devemfort rare?' This
passage proves, that even in 1693, civilization had made great inroads on the fauna of
Mauritius.
In 1712 the Dutch evacuated Mauritius, and the French colonized the island under the
new name of Isle de France. This change in the population will account for the absence of
any traditionary knowledge of so remarkable a bird among the later inhabitants. All subsequent
evidence is equally negative. Baron Grant resided in Mauritius from 1740 to 1760 ;
and his son, who compiled the “ History of Mauritius” from his papers, states (p. 145*) that
no trace of such a bird was to be found at that time. M. Morel, a French official who resided
there previously to 1778, and whose attention seems to have been drawn to the subject by the
judicious criticisms of Bufibn (Hist. Ois. vol.ii. p. 73), tells us that the oldest inhabitants had no
recollection of these creatures (Observations sur la Physique, 1778, vol. xii. p. 154). The late
M. Bory de St. Vincent remained for some time in Mauritius and Bourbon in 1801, and has
left an excellent work on the physical features of those islands (Voyage dans les quatre principales
iles des Mers d’Afrique). He assures us (vol. ii. p. 306) that he made every possible
enquiry respecting the Dodo and its allies, without gaining the slightest information from the
inhabitants on the subject. At a public dinner at the Mauritius in 1816, several persons from
70 to 90 years of age were present, who had no knowledge of such a bird from recollection or
tradition (De Blainville in Nouv. Ann. Mus. vol.iv. p. 31). Mr. J. V. Thompson also resided
for some years in Mauritius and Madagascar, previously to 1816, and he states that no more
traces of the existence of the Dodo could then be found, than of the truth of'the tale of Paul and
Virginia, although a very general idea prevailed as to the reality of both (Mag. Nat. Hist,
ser. 1, vol.ii. p.443). This list of negative witnesses may be closed with the late Mr. Telfair,
a very active naturalist, whose researches were equally conclusive as to the non-existence of
Dodos in Mauritius in modem times (Zool. Joum. vol. iii. p. 566).