o
R O U N D T H E W O R L D . u t
o f Selkirk This was, indeed, an animal o f a moft venerable afpeft,
dignified with an exceeding majeftic beard, and with many other
fymptoms of antiquity. During our Hay on the Ifland, we mét
with others marked in the fame manner; all the males being dif-
tinguifhed by an exuberance o f beard, and every other charafte-
riftick of extreme age.
But the great numbers of goats, which former writers defcribe
to have been found upon this Ifland,- are at prefent very much di-
minifiied; as the Spaniards, being informed of the advantages
which the buccaneers and privateers drew from -the provifions
which goats-flefli here fur.nifhed them with, have endeavoured to
extirpate the breed, thereby to deprive their enemies of this relief.
For this purpofe, they have put on Ihore great numbers of
large dogs, who have increafed apace, and have deftroyed all the
goats in thé acceffible part, of the country ; fo that there now remain
only a few amongft the craggs and precipices, where the
dogs cannot follow them. Thefe are divided irito feparate herds'
o f twenty or thirty each, which inhabit diffind faftneffes, and
never mingle with each other: by this .means we found i f ex- ■
tremely difficult to kill them ; and yet we were fo delirous o f their
fleffi which we all agreed much refembled venifon, that we got
knowledge, Ibelieve; o f all their herds-, and it was conceived, by
comparing their numbers together, that they fcarcely exceeded
two hundred upon the whole Ifland. 1 remember we had once an
opportunity of obferving a remarkable difpute betwixt a herd of
thefe animals and a number o f dogs ; for, going m our boat into
the pattern bay, we perceived fome dogs running very eagerly
upon the foot, and, being willing todifoover what game they were
after we lay upon our oars fome. time to view them, and at laft
few them take -to a h ill; where, looking a little further, we ob-
fer ved upon the ridge of it an herd of goats, which feemed drawn
up for their reception. There was a very narrow path fetedion.
each fide by precipices, On which the Matter o f the herd potted
himfelf, fronting the enemy, the reft of the goats being all behtnd