Fac-simile of P l a t e 2 of "VanNecks "Voyage.
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
Walckvögel, 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 Walckvögel, 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 Walckvögel to be the less esteemed.
The following is De Bry's version of this account, and in cases where the French translation
(Amsterdam, 1601) differs in sense, the latter is quoted also:
" Insula dicta pnctcrquam quod terras nasccntibus feracissima sit, volucres ctiain copiosissimas
alit, u t sunt, turtures, qui tanta ibi copia obversantur, u t t c r n i nostrum dimidii d i d spatio 150 aliquando
ceperimus, plurcs facile prehensuri maivibus, aut coesuri fustibus, si illorum oncrc non nimium nos
pressos scnsissemus. Crcrulei quoque psittaci {"parroquets gris" Fr.) ibi fréquentes sunt ut et aves
alia; : prater quas genus aliud quoque grandius conspicitur, cygnis nostris majus ("de la grandeur de
nos Cignes," Fr.) capitibus vastis, et pelle ex dimidia parte q. cucullis investitis. IIa; aves alis carent :
quarum loco très quatuorve penua: nigriores prodeunt. Caudam constituunt pauculas incurva; pennoe
tencriuscula;, ("au lieu du Cap, ont ils quatre ou cincq plumettes crespues," Fr.) colorera cineris
referentes. Has nos Walckvögel appcllitabamus, hanc ob causam, quod quo longius sen diutius
ebxarentur, plus lentescerent et esui ineptiorcs fièrent, lllarum tamen ventres et pectora saporis
jucundi ct masticationis facilis crant; ("voire fort coriaces, mais estuicin'.medicine pour I' estomach et
lapoictrine," Fr.). Appellationis causa altera erat, quod turtures ibi optabili copia nobis suflicerent,
saporis longe gratioris et suavioris."—De Bry, pivrsV. p. 7.
The quaint old print, of which a fac-similc 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 I' Isle Maurice, et de ce qui est par nous execute'. No. 2.
" 1. Sont Tortues (rai se tiennent sur 1' haut pays, frustez d'aisles pour nager, de telle grandeur,
(pi' ils chargent ung homme et rampent encow; fort roidement ; prennent aussi des Escriuisscs de la
grandeur d'un pied, qu' ils meugeut.
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 101)9, 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
ct 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-Admirai 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 164S and 1650 ; M. de Blainville
is therefore in error when he states (Nouv. Ann. Mus. 11. N. vol. iv. p. 4) that the first account of this voyage
was published at Rouen in 1725.