Hamon L’Estrange

About 1638, as I walked London streets, I saw the picture of a strange fowle hong out upon a cloth, [hiatus in the MS.]¹ and myselfe with one or two more then in company went in to see it. It was kept in a chamber, and was a great fowle somewhat bigger than the largest Turky Cock, and so legged and footed, but stouter and thicker and of a more erect shape, coloured before like the breast of a yong cock fesan, and on the back of dunn or deare coulour. The keeper called it a Dodo, and in the ende of a chymney in the chamber there lay a heape of large pebble stones, whereof hee gave it many in our sight, some as bigg as nutmegs, and the keeper told us shee eats them (conducing to digestion), and though I remember not how farr the keeper was questioned therein, yet I am confident that afterwards shee cast them all againe.