Shark came and bit off his leg, and part of his thigh, and he thereupon sunk; we made out to save him, but before we came, he was drowned. Here are Tortoises so great, that they will creep with two mens burdens on their backs; but their pace is so slow, that they would make but ill Porters, going not above ten yards in two hours, when they make their greatest speed. The birds here are so unaccustomed to frights, that I have shot five or six times amongst a flock, letting the dead still lie, and not one of the surviving did so much as offer to flie. The Goats here have more of the Politician in them; for they seldom feed or rest themselves, but they set out their sentinels. CHAP. LXXIII. _Hence he sailed for _Bantam_; by the way he recounts the danger he had like to have sustained, by ascending a _burning Mountain_._ Weighing Anchor, we steer’d our course for _Bantam_; but being much straitned by the way, for want of fresh water, we were compell’d to make up to the first Land we descry’d. Though the darkness of the night blinded our eyes from such discoveries, yet flames of fire not far distant from us, gave us perfect intelligence that land was not far off. That night we cast Anchor, fearing we might run foul of some rock or shelf: In the morning we saw a large track of Land before us, not knowing what place it should be. Our Captain commanded the Long-boat to be man’d out, to procure water, if any good were there: amongst the rest, I went for one; for I was very greedy to observe novelties. Coming on shore, and seeing this Hill now and then belch out flames, by my perswasions I made my fellows forget for a time their duty or errand they came about, to make some inquisition into this _miracle_ of Nature. Whereupon we all resolved unanimously to ascend the Hill, and with much difficulty we came so nigh the top, that we heard a most hideous noise proceeding from the Concave thereof: so terrible it was, that we now began to condemn our rash attempt, and stood at a convenient distance, judging it the only _medium_ of our safety. Whilst we were thus in a _delirium_, not knowing what was the best to be done; the Mountain was instantly possest with an _Ague-fit_, and afterwards vomiting up smoak and stones into the Air (which afterwards fell down in a shower upon our heads) we thought we could not escape without a miracle: and whilst we were all striving which way, with greatest expedition, we might eschew the danger, there rose in the midst of us such an heap of earth, ashes, and fire, with such kinde of combustible matter, as that we all seem’d as so many _moveable burning Beacons_: and without any thoughts of helping each other, every one endeavoured to secure himself. And although I was the last in the company, yet in this expedition it was much available to me; for my companions making more haste than good speed, tumbling down the Hill before me, fell several of them together;