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The Galapagos Islands

A History of Their Exploration

The Galapagos Islands

A History of Their Exploration

JOSEPH RICHARD SLEVIN

THE CUEATOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HERPETOLOGY
CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

SAN FRANCISCO
CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

1959

OCCASIONAL PAPEKS NO. XXV
OF THE CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

Issued December 22, 1959

COMMITTEE ON PUBLICATION

Dr. Egbert C. Miller, Chairman
Dr. Edward L. Kessel, Editor

DEDICATIOX

To Eohert Cuymingham Miller, Director of
the California Academy of Sciences, whose
interest in the project made its completion
possihJe, this volume is gratefully dedicated

CONTENTS

PAGE

Preface i^

The Galapagos Islands 1

Description of the Islands 1

Water 5

Inti'oduced Animals '^

Native Fauna "7

Volcanoes "

Climate 10

Discovery H

Origin 1^

Cartography 18

Early Visitors ^^

Enderby Whalers 52

Visiting Men-of-war and Sealers 54

The United States Frigate Essex 58

British Frigates Briton and Tagus ''3

His Britannic Majesty's Ship Beagle '75

Voyage of Le Genie 89

Voyage of the Corvette Decres 101

Inhabitants 105

The Galapagos "Post Office" 108

Shipwrecks HI

Expeditions to the Galapagos 114

Air Base 126

Tortoises 12T

Preservation of Galapagos Fauna 135

Selected Bibliography HO

PREFACE

It is not the intention of tlie author to compile in tlie present
work a complete bibliooraphy of Galapagos literature, ])ut rather to
treat of the history of the islands from the time of their discovery
to the present, bringing to light historical events and documents
unknown to many Galapagos students as well as giving an account
of some of the men and shi])s connected with their history.

A selected bibliogra])hy, however, is appended for those who wish
to make a serious study of the flora and fauna of these islands, or for
those who merely wish to read of the numerous explorers and visitors
before and after the memorable voyage of the Beagle.

Probably no other group of islands in the world has been the object
of so much intensive study by the world's most distinguished scientists.
It was amongst these now famous islands that Charles Darwin first
formed his ideas as to the origin of species, and where he started on
a career that made him one of the greatest naturalists of all time.

The Galapagos have been one of the principal fields of endeavor
of the California Academy of Sciences since its original expedition
there in 1905-06, and its collections from the Galapagos Archipelago
are unsurpassed.

To enumerate all those who have assisted in com])iling these data
would make far too lengthy a list and to these my thanks are due.
There are. however, those to whom I am especially indebted and with-
out whose help the project would have been impossible : The Eeverend
Padre Emilio del Sol, of the Church of Santa Maria del Mercado,
Berlanga, Spain, furnished the photographs of the burial place and
wood carving of Fray Tomas, the discoverer of the Galapagos; Captain
H. J. Hennessy and Commander W. E. May of the Royal Navy on duty
at the Admiralty v/ere most helpful, as well as the Imperial War Mu-
seum and the Maritime Museum which supplied naval photographs
and prints; the British Museum Library allowed the use of old maps
and diaries and the Public Records Office the data from the various
old logs and letters; ]\Ir. H. W. Parker, of the British Museum of
Natural History, extended many personal courtesies; Rear Admiral
Francisco Benito Perera, of the Spanish Navy, and Captain Proctor
Thornton, U.S.N. (Ret.), have been most helpful in securing data
regarding the early Spanish ships; the Pennsylvania Historical So-
ciety very kindly allowed the use of the Feltus diary; Dr. Paul
Chabanaud, of the Museum d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France, se-
cured the reports of the French vessels of war, Le Genie and Decres,

from the French Admiralty; Dr. F. X. Williams, formerly with the
Hawaiian Sugar Planters Association, sent much information regard-
ing the early whalers. Also, I wish to thanlv especially IVIiss Veronica
Sexton, Librarian of th.e Academy, who was most solicitons in attending
to many requests, and Mrs. Lillian Dempster, of the Depai'tment of
Ichthyology, for translating the many Spanish letters connected with
the research.

Last, but not least, I feel deeply indebted to Mrs. Barbara Oordon,
of the Academy's television staff, who so painstakingly typed the
manuscript.

The Author^

^ [Joseph Richard Slevin. for more than fifty-three years associated with the California Academy of
Sciences in its Department of Herpetology, passed away February IS, 1957, in his seventy-sixth year. He
first visited the Galapagos Islands in 1905 as a member of the Academy's Galapagos Expedition. From
that date until the time of his death, he maintained an active interest in those islands and published a
number of scientific and popular papers about them. The manuscript for the present paper was completed
shortly before his death. — Editor.]

THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

The (ialapagos Au'hipela<^o, or Archipielago de Colon as it is
called by the (.ioveniment of Ecuador, was annexed by that country
on February 12, 1832. The history of these islands remained more or
less obscure to tlie world for many years after their discovery as
they had no strategic value in tlie scheme of events until the con-
struction of the Panama Canal. Then at once they became of the
greatest importance to the United States as a base for the protection
of that waterway in time of war, and were used as such in World
War II. Any mention of a plan to lease or purchase them by the
United States immediately brought a storm of jn-otest from all Latin
America and it was impossible to come to any terms with the Gov-
ernment of Ecuador for permanent occupancy.

The archipelago, consisting of some fifteen islands and numerous
islets and rocks, extends from Latitude 1°-1:0' N. to 1°36' S. and from
Longitude 89°16'58" to 90°1' W., the nearest point to the mainland
being Mt. Pitt on Chatham Island, which is 502.5 miles N. 87°50' W.
of Marlinspike Kock, Cape San Lorenzo, Ecuador. The equator passes
through the northernmost volcano of Albemarle Island. -

The islands themselves are in reality immense lava piles projecting
out of the ocean, some with perfectly formed craters, and there are
hundreds upon hundreds of minor ones together with fumaroles and
vents scattered over the landscape. Great lava flows extend from the
crater rims to the sea. These, the most striking features of the land-
scape, vary greatly, some being composed of huge black or brown slabs
that have the appearance of age, while others are rough, black boulders
that appear to be of recent origin, so much so that one would think
they had hardly cooled.

Description of the Islands

Albemarle, shaped somewhat like a boot, is the largest of the group,
being approximately seventy-five miles in length and forty-five in
breadth at the southern end, the widest part. Narborough, James, In-
defatigable, Chatham, Charles, Bindloe, Abingdon, Tower, and Hood
are next in size and importance, while the remainder range from islets
of a mile or less to mere rocks.

2 [The author has used the English names for islands and localities throughout his manuscript which
was prepared from the English viewpoint and is published in connection with the Darwinian Centennial
year of 1959. Most of these names are not official inasmuch as they have been replaced with Spanish
names by the Government of Ecuador. See pages 2 5-26 for a list of alternatives. — Editor.!

[1]

2 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

The mountains of the Galapagos are best represented on Albemarle
and Narborough islands, the former having five large volcanoes, the
broadest of which, Villamil Mountain, is 4,890 feet. The crater, some-
what oval in shape, is approximately five miles in diameter, and the
area about the rim is open country with a scattering of small trees.
As it is often covered with clouds, there is considerable moisture, re-
sulting in a luxurious growth of grass furnishing marvelous grazing
land for the wild cattle which range about the southern slope above
the tree belt. The base of the mountain is surrounded by barren
lava beds.

Iguana Cove Mountain, 5,540 feet in height, is of a somewhat
different type. The southern slopes, being exposed to the prevailing
southerly winds, are covered by a dense growth of vegetation from
the crater rim to the shoreline, while the northern ones are barren.
The line of demarcation between lava flow and vegetation is so re-
markably distinct that it is the first thing that strikes the eye while
sailing along Albemarle's western coast.

Cowley Mountain, 3,650 feet in height, is of still another type,
the lower slopes being covered by pumice with a very scant growth of
vegetation up to the vicinity of the crater rim. Here a wide belt of
sword grass forms an impenetrable barrier surrounding the crater rim.

The two northern mountains, Tagus Cove, 4,300 feet, and Banks
Ba3', 5,500 feet, are much more barren in appearance, although there
is sparse vegetation at their lower levels. Neither of these mountains
is as spectacular as are the southern ones, though like them they have
well-formed craters.

Narborough, a huge mountain of lava, is no doubt the most bar-
ren and least known of the larger islands, the greater portion of it
being a series of black lava flows with only small streaks of vegetation
showing on the steep eastern slope, while the southwestern slope, which
is exposed to the southerly breezes, shows considerable vegetation
despite the most violent eruptions that have taken place. The island
rises to a height of about 4,500 feet and has a lake in the crater floor
which in turn has a small crater with a lake of its own. As no anchor-
ages were marked on the earlier charts, its waters were given a wide
berth by navigators in general and hiiidings were made from small
boats while the vessel hove to oft" shore or lay at anchor in Tagus Cove
across the strait. IVIr. Templeton Crocker's yacht Zaca, while on an
expedition for the California Academy of Sciences, was the first vessel
to chart an ancliorage on Narborough. It was named California Cove.

The great lava flows of All)emarle and Narborough vary consid-
erably in character, some being composed of huge black or brown

No. 25J

SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

Fig. 1. Aerial view of the crater of the Narborough volcano, showing its
lake which surrounds a secondary crater which has a lake of its own. Photo
courtesy of Captain Paul P. Lila, U.S.A.A.F.

slabs that have the appearance of great age; others appear to be of
very recent origin.

Two small islands of a distinct type, Duncan and Tower, have
well-formed craters, the former with its lava flows covered with lichens,
giving the appearance of great age. Its crater floor is composed of red
volcanic ash. Tower Island, by contrast, is composed of black lava
and has a crater lake of brackish water.

The other larger islands. Indefatigable, James, Chatham, Charles,
and Hood, are all of a somewhat different type, the main craters
having broken down to the extent that they are no longer well de-
flned, or even visible. The tops of all except Hood, which is a very low
island only about 650 feet in height, are covered with vegetation, and
Chatham and Charles have open areas in the vicinity of their summits.

On a visit to Charles Island in 1928, much of the open area found
in 1905 had been encroached upon by a lemon thicket on top of the
central plateau so that the open area had practically disappeared; no
doubt the landscape changes from time to time and descriptions may
not remain applicable.

The tops of all the islands and of all the volcanoes have now been
reached on foot by some or several members of the Academy's various
expeditions.

CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

[Oc. Papkbs

Ml". KoUo II. Beck, chief of the Academy's expedition of 1905-06,
climbed to the top of Narborough and reported seeing the lake in the
crater now shown on H. 0. Chart No. 1798 from the survey of the
Galapagos made by the U.S.S. Bowditch in 1942.

The top of Indefatigable was readied by the members of the Tem-
pleton Crocker expedition to the (lalapagos Islands in the interests
of the Academy, and Mr. John Thomas Howell, the Academy's Cura-
tor of Botany, gave an excellent description of the ascent in the Sierra
Club BuUetin, volume 27, number 4, August, 1942.

When the United States Army established its air base in the
Galapagos, much of the area was photographed from the air. From
these aerial surveys it was ])ossible to make additions and corrections
to the survey of 1835, which was in use until it was replaced by the
U.S.S. Bowditch survey. Among the changes made were the listing of
the crater lake on Narborough and the dropping of the supposed cen-
tral crater on Indefatigable Island. The need for this addition and cor-

Fig. 2. On Tuesday, August 10, 11*32, members of the Crocker Expedition
to the Galapagos Islands conquered Indefatigable and were the first to see the
highlands from the highest point on the island.

Looking in a southeasterly direction from the remnant of a crater rim, the
highest point on Indefatigable Island, 2835 feet above sea level. The chief cor-
rection made in the chart of the U.S.S. Bouditih (1942) was the omission of a
great central crater which had been shown for this island on the chart of
H.M.S. Beagle (1835).

No. 25]

SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

reel ion first became known throui-li the Academy's explorers who
conquered the mountains on I'oot and were the first to see the crater
hike of Narl)orough and to f>ive a proper descrii)ti()n of the top of Inde-
fatii>ahle. The latter island had defied several attempts to reach its
sinnmit.

Water
For all visitors to the (Jalapagos, water seems to have been one of
the o-reatest problems, and from the accounts of the early naviga-
tors they spent much time in search of it, mostly with little success.
On rare occasions, when a copious rainfall occurred, a few depressions
in the lava beds or the bottom of the arroyos were found to contain
small amounts of water, but a generous supply where a ship could be
watered from along the coast is not existent. There is one spot, how-

Fig. 3. This wateiiiole, about lialf a mile south of Tagus Cove, Albemarle
Island, was found to be full by Captain Amaso Delano on August 21, 1801, and
he watered his ship Perseverence from it over one hundred and four years
before the Expedition of the California Academy of Sciences to the Galapagos
Islands replenished the water supply of the schooner Academy from the same
hole. A tarpaulin was thrown over the hole to help keep out the dust. The water
was bailed out into a breaker or barrel, rolled to the water's edge and into the
sea, and then parbuckled into the skiff.

6 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

ever, on the east coast of Chatham Island (Freshwater Bay) which
might have saved many an early visitor from a shortage of water if
it had been discovered. A small stream trickles down from some per-
manent ponds on the plateau and finds its way to a basin in the rocks
just above the tide line. It is this basin that was pictured in a draw-
ing made by Midshipman CI. W. P. Edwardes of H.M.S. Daphne shown
at the bottom of his chart of Freshwater Bay, surveyed during the
visit of that vessel to the Galapagos in 1836.

On Albemarle Island, just above half a mile south of the mouth
of Tagus Cove, a small basin in the tufa collected about forty to fifty
gallons per day from underground seepage, and the Academy's expedi-
tion of 1905-06 watered the schooner from this basin while at anchor
in Tagus Cove. It is not certain, however, whether the underground
flow can be relied upon throughout the year. Again at the southern
end of the island, at Villamil anchorage, some waterholes three or four
miles inland furnish a moderate supply of water which, altliough
drinkable, has a strong taste of sulphur. The grasslands about the top
of the mountain have waterholes with a constant supply of good drink-
ing water, but of course this is an impossible source as far as watering
a ship is concerned.

Chatham Island also has good fresh water in some parts of the
plateau and water can be hauled down by ox team in case of necessity,
though it is not a very practical method of watering a ship.

The plateau of Charles Island, like Chatham, also has good drink-
ing water in some springs near the base of the main peak, but the
supply is not nearly as plentiful as that of Chatham.

During the rainy season, at the northern end of James Bay on
James Island and about opposite Albany Island, water collects in some
depressions in the lava. It was here that the buccaneers invariably
searched for water and, at times, found it in small quantities as they
did in simihir places elsewhere on the larger islands.

No one need die of thirst in the higher portions of Indefatigable
as the summit of that island is covered practically daily by clouds
which create sufficient moisture to fill depressions in the lava and
make possible its dense vegetation. Again, however, this does not help
the thirsty mariner at the shoreline.

A casual investigation of the Galapagos coastline will at once suf-
fice to show the visitor wli>- tlie water ])r()blom of the early voyagers
was a major one.

No. 25]

SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

Introduced Animals

Of late years, owiiiii to the activities oi' tuna Imats and various
yachts which liave called ;i1 the islands, it is diificult to tell what do-
mestic animals have been introduced and on what islands. It is known,
howovei-. that rats occur everywhere and that with the exception of pigs
and cats on Indefatioahle, which are a comparatively hite imi)ortation.
the islands listed have been inhabited as follows :

AIhc7narJe

Ciuitham

dogs

cats

cattle

burros

Barringfon

Hood

goats

Charles
dogs
cats
goats
cattle
pigs
burros

James
goats
burros

South Seymour
goats

Inclefatigahle
dogs
cats
burros
pigs

Native Fauna

AVhile the neighboring continent of South America, only 500 miles
away, harbors birds of the most gorgeous plumage in its tropical for-
ests and has a varied and wonderful mammal population, the avifauna
of the Galapagos is most sombre, the little crimson flycatcher and the
beautiful pink flamingo giving the only touches of real color.

Of the Galapagos fauna, the gigantic land tortoises from wdiich
the islands get their name, gahrpago being the Spanish for tortoise,
naturally claim first attention. These huge and grotesque reptiles have
been found living in no other place in the world excc])t the islands
off southeast Africa wiiere they no longer exist in the wald state as
they do in the Galapagos. Whether the Galapagos tortoise can sur-
vive is a question. In the past they furnished a ready supply of fresh
meat for the early voyagers, especially for the whalers who frequented

8 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

the Pacific, as the waters around the Galapagos were one of their
favorite cruising grounds. Tortoises were removed by the thousands
during the long period of the whaling activity which started in the
early 1790's and continued without decline until the 1860's. At the
present time these tortoises are hard pressed by their enemies, the
wild dogs being the worst if we except man. AVhile the dogs kill the
fully grown tortoises, the rats and hawks destroy the young as soon
as they hatch from the egg, so that the percentage of survivors from
a nest is undoubtedly small. Certainly the tortoise has an uphill bat-
tle to survive and is barely holding its own. The land iguana, formerly
living in large colonies on James, Indefatigable, and Albemarle
islands, is extinct on the two first and very scarce on the last, a few
scattered ones still surviving at the north end of Albemarle where
the dogs, owing to the extreme roughness of the terrain, have not
penetrated to any great extent. Colonies on Barrington and South
Seymour [Baltra], the other islands they are known to inhabit, have
been successful in surviving, man being their worst enemy.

The sea iguana, found nowhere else in the world, is unique in that
it is the only reptile known that depends solely on the sea for its
food. This inhabitant of the Galapagos is abundant and is probably
the native species that stands the best chance for suiwival. Living
along the rocky coasts where their food, a species of sea lettuce, is
found, they can take to the water and swim to outlying rocks for
safety, their only risk that of being cauglit by a shark while en route.
A great danger, however, which these iguanas have to face is that of
having their nests destroyed by dogs, rats, or pigs.

Excluding a species of sea snake, which has been seen in Galapagos
waters, and is of course venomous, a few species of lizards and harm-
less snakes complete the reptile fauna.

Bird life is abundant on the islands and there are various types
of land birds, such as hawks, owls, and flycatchers, together with the
little finches that so excited Darwin's curiosity. Among the water
birds are ducks, herons, and the beautiful pink flamingos which are
found ill the lagoons along the coasts. Like many other isolated
islands, the Galapagos furnish nesting sites for thousands upon thou-
sands of sea birds. One of these, the flightless cormorant, like the sea
iguana is found nowhere else in the world.

Tiie iiiaiiimal and insect faunas, to say the least, are both incon-
spicuous, the foniicr consisting of a bat and a few species of rodents,
some of which may recently have been eliminated l)ecause of their in-
ability to compete with introduced rats. The insect fauna consists of
various types of beetles and the like, together with a few species of

No. 25] SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 9

butterflies and lunvk-motlis, not one of which attains the beautiful col-
oring- of many of the species on the adjacent mainland.

Native faunas tliroughout the world are having a struggle to sur-
vive and that of the Galapagos is not an exception. Besides having to
contend with man for four hundred years and more, natural and
introduced enemies nuike survival so precarious that even though
the government of Ecuador has wisely made the archipelago a wild-
life refuge, it is a question whether much of its native animal life
will survive. It may be that the small land birds will go completely,
as the cats increase, just as some species have done in other places,
for example on Guadalupe Island off Baja California, Mexico.

Volcanoes

The Galapagos are certainly a land of fire, but whether the Inca
Tupac Yupanqui ever saw the legendary Nina-Chumbi, island of fire,
no one know^s. Various early voyagers were greatly impressed by the
great volcanoes and invariably mention them in the accounts of
their travels.

In 1801, Amasa Delano observed, from his anchorage at James
Bay, a remarkable eruption of one of the mountains of central Albe-
marle. Probably the greatest eruption ever seen, however, was that
observed by Captain Benjamin Morrell of the sealing schooner Tartar
when the main crater of Narborough erupted in February, 1825. His
vessel was anchored in Banks Bay when at 4 :30 a.m. the molten lava
started pouring over the rim of the crater forming a river of liquid
fire that flowed to the sea. By 11 a.m. the temperature reached 113°F.
and that of the water 100°. The eruption continued and the situation
of the vessel became perilous, though she was anchored some ten miles
to the northward of the volcano. The heat, however, was so great
that pitch in the vessel's seams melted and the tar dropped from the
rigging. The following day, several of the crew complained of faint-
ness when the temperature rose to 123° and the water to 105°.

Fortunately, a light easterly breeze sprang up at 8 p.]\l, the anchor
Avas hoisted, and the Tartar was able to make its way through the
channel between Albemarle and Narborough islands, thus saving itself
from a catastrophe. While passing through the strait, the thermometer
rose to 147° and the water to 150°. By 11 p.m. the schooner anchored
at the southern end of Elizabeth Bay, but as the volcano continued to
erupt the heat became so intense that the anchorage was abandoned.
The Tartar was still within sight of the volcano almost two weeks from

10 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

the start of the eruption, and though the violence had subsided, the
volcano was still active. This was probably as great an eruption as any
ever seen by man. Narborough seems to be a particularly active volcano
as Lord Byron, while at Tagus Cove on H.M.S. Blonde, observed an
eruption just the year before (1825).

Many late visitors have reported seeing minor craters active. A
British naval officer. Captain Donald McLennan, in command of the
brig ColoJiel Allan, who sailed from Clrovesend on August 19, 1817,
for the South Seas, stopped at the islands and mentioned "there are
several volcanos on tlie Islands that are occasionally seen to burn
with great fury, one of which was seen by the Colonel Allan on her
last voyage, about two years since, the flames fi'om it rose to a great
height and was seen at the distance of several leagues."

Captain McLennan also saw several of the minor craters of Albe-
marle in eruption.

On the expedition of the California Academy of Sciences in 1905-
06, many fumaroles were seen, and Bindloe, Abingdon, James, and the
great crater of Villamil ^Mountain were all spouting steam. Dr. Wil-
liam Beebe, in 1925, witnessed a minor crater in eruption near Cape
Marshall, Albemarle, as did Captain Lackey of the LT.S.S. Mempliis
in 1938 and Templeton Crocker's yacht Zaca in 1933. On the voyage
of Captain Allan Hancock's Oaxaca in 1937-38, a spectacular erup-
tion of a minor crater in southeastern Narborougli was observed, tlie
molten red lava pouring into the sea, discoloring the water and killing,
thousands of fish. Volcanic activity is more apt to be seen in northern
Albemarle and on Narborough where secondary craters are numerous.
Of late years, not a single one of the main craters has shown any signs
of recent eruptions with the exception of the Villamil ^lountain crater,
where a jet of steam has been in evidence for many years. It is here
that a small sulphur deposit, claimed to ])e of a very high grade, has
been worked at intervals.

Clijniate

Though the Galapagos are situated dircdly on the equator, which
would lead one to suppose that tempcralui-cs might be excessive, the
islands have a delightful climate, the thermometer rarely going above
SOT. The Humboldt Current, sweeping u]) from the south, turns
westward when it reaches the Ecuadorian coast and, ])assing through
the southern grouj) of the Galapagos, ])athes their shores with the cool
waters of the Antarctic, creating an ideal climate. The Panama Cur-

No. 25] SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 11

rent, whicli is several degrees warmer, encircles the northern group of
islands, but these, too, have a climate that is delightful.

The seasons are variable and uncertain, but si)ring may ])e con-
sidered as llic period bclweeu -lanuary and .luuc, while duly to De-
cember may be considered the dry season, although at high elevations,
which are usually covered with clouds, there is considerable moisture.
Dampier (1864) found rains in November-December and January and
fair weather in i\Iay-June-July-August.

The prevailing southeasterly winds support vegetation on the higher
elevations and in some cases, as at Iguana Cove, it extends to the
beach line. Despite the tremendous eruptions that have taken place
on Narborough Island, there is a considerable green zone on the
western slopes.

Discovery

Whether the Inca king, Tupac Yupanqui, who is credited by Sar-
miento with having discovered the Galapagos Islands, really did so
is a ciuestion. As the Incas possessed no written language, the story
of the voyage of the Inca king is purely legendary.

The compilation of the Inca history entrusted to Captain Pedro
Sarmiento de Gamboa, cosmographer of Peru, by Don Francisco de
Toledo, viceroy, governor, and captain general of the kingdom of Peru,
is from information given by the Inca descendants who were called
upon to give testimony to the traditions handed down by their ancestors
and which were supposed to have been learned by heart.

The story of some merchants coming from western seas and giving
glowing accounts of the land from whence they came, reached the ears
of Tupac Yupanqui, an ambitious man who was not satisfied with
the lands in his possession but longed for further conquests. To assure
himself that the merchants of the West were giving a truthful account
of their voyage, he called upon Antarqui, renowned for his magic
powers, to give an opinion as to their truthfulness. Having assured
the Inca king their stories were true, Antarqui set out to prove it
by making the voyage to the Avest himself and came back w4th re-
markable tales of his exploration. Thus assured, Tupac Yupanqui is
said to have embarked with some twenty thousand men on a fleet
of rafts leaving, according to Miguel Cavello de Balboa, from the coast
of Manta near Guayaquil on a voyage wdiich lasted more than a year.
As the legend goes, Tupac Yupanqui sailed on and on until he dis-
covered two islands which he named Nina-Chumbi (island of fire)
and Ilahua-Chumbi (outer island). These, Cavello says, may have

CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

[Oc. Papkrs

Fig. 4. The Very Reverend Fray Tomas de Berlanga, Fourth Bishop of
Panama and discoverer of the Galapagos Islands. (From a wood carving in the
Church of Santa Maria del Mercado, Berlanga, Spain.)

No. 1^5] SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 13

been two of the (lab'ipajios. Upon tlic return from his voyage, which
is supi^osed to have taken phice sixty years or so previous to that of
Fray Tomas de Berlanga, it is stated he brought ])ac'k the skin and
jawbone of a horse. The Spaniards state, however, that the iiorse was
unknown to the Indians of the New World until 1519, when Hernando
Cortes landed at Vei-a Cruz to begin his march on the capital of the
Aztecs, at which time he brought some sixteen horses to be u.sed for
cavalry mounts.

Of course, it is well known that the early navigators did make
voyages on various types of rafts rigged with sails and rudders, or
centerboards which acted as such, but to transport an army of twenty
thousand men over seas and be out for more than a year seems rather
improbable.

History records the discoverer of the Galapagos as Fray Tomas
de Berlanga, the Bisho]) of Panama. He was born in Berlanga, Spain
(the date uncertain), and died in the town of his birth in 1551, being
buried in the Capilla del Obispo de Panama o de los Cristos of the
Colegiata de Berlanga.

Admitted to the Dominican Order at San Esteban de Salamanca
in 1508, he obtained at Eome in 1528 the establishment of a separate
province named Santa Cruz, of which he was made provincial in 1530.
His territory included all lands so far discovered and to be discovered
on the w^est coast of South America, so the then unknown Galapagos
Islands came wdthin his jurisdiction. In 1533 Fray Tomas succeeded
the Franciscan Friar ]Marti Bejar and became the fourth Bishop
of Panama.

Spanish conquests in the New World now saw the Empire of the
Incas fall to Pizarro and his lieutenant Diego de Almagro, who ex-
tended their conquests farther southward bringing more territory
into the diocese of Bishop Tomas.

Eumors of dissension between the conquerors having reached the
ears of Emperor Carlos V, he issued a decree dated July 19, 1534,
giving the power to Fray Tomas de Berlanga to arbitrate any dispute
between them and ordering the bishop to Peru on his mission. Leav-
ing Panama on February 23, 1535, his vessel was caught in one of
the calms so prevalent in those regions, and the equatorial current,
setting his vessel to the westward, carried him out to the Galapagos.
His letter to his Emperor is the first document ever written pertaining
to them. This most interesting letter, a translation of wliich follows, con-
tains the first mention of the giant land tortoises inhabiting the Gala-
pagos and from which the archipelago gets its name, the tameness of the

CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

[Oc. Papers

Fig. 5. Capillu del Obispo de Panama o de los Cristos, burial place of Fray
Tomas. The large slab of dark slate at the foot of the altar covers the tomb.

birds which has been remarked upon by mo.st all visitors thereafter,
and the grotesque iguanas which constitute another remarkable fea-
ture of a most unique fauna. Little did the reverend bishop know that
he had discovered a zoological paradise that was to claim the atten-
tion of the world's leading scientists for well over a hundred years
ainl which still continues to do so.

Puerto Viejo, April 26, 1535.
Sacred Imperial Catholic Majesty:

It seemed right to me to let Your Majesty know the progress of my
trip from the time when I left Panama, which was on the twenty-
third of Fel)iuary of the current year, until I arrived in this new
town of Puerto Viejo.

The ship sailed with very good breezes for seven days, and the

No. 25] SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 15

pilot kept near land and we had a six-day calm; the currents wei'e
so strong and engulfed us in such a way that on Wednesday, the tenth
of March, we sighted an island; and, as on board there was enough
water for only tw-o more days, they agreed to lower the life-boat and
go on land for water and grass for the horses, and once out, they
found nothing but seals, and turtles, and such big tortoises, that each
could carry a man on top of itself, and many iguanas that are like
serpents.

On another day, we saw another island larger than the first, and
with great sierras; and thinking that on account of its size and mon-
strous shape, there could not fail to be rivers and fruits, we went
to it, because the distance around the first one was about four or five
leagues and around the other, ten or twelve leagues, and at this junc-
ture the water on the ship gave out and we were three days in reach-
ing the island on account of the calms, during which all of us, as well
as the horses, suffered great hardships.

The boat once anchored, we all went on land, and some were given
charge of making a well, and others looking for water over the
island; from the well there came out water saltier than that of the
sea; on land they were not able to find even a drop of water for two
days and with the thirst the people felt they resorted to a leaf of
some thistles like prickly pears, and because they were somewhat
juicy, although not very tasty, we began to eat of them and squeeze
them to draw all the water from them, and drawn, it looked like
slops, or lye, and they drank of it as if it were rose water.

On Passion Sunday, I had them bring on land the things necessary
for saying Mass, and after it was said, I again sent the people in
twos and threes, over different parts. The Lord deigned that they
should find in a ravine among the rocks as much as a hogshead of
water, and after they had drawn that, they found more and more.
In fine, eight hogsheads were filled and the barrels and the jugs that
there were on the boat, but through the lack of water we lost one
man and two days after we left the island we lost another; and ten
horses died.

From this island we saw two others, one much larger than all,
which was easily fifteen or twenty leagues around; the other was
medium; I took the latitude to know where the islands were and
they are between half a degree and a degree and a half south lati-
tude. On this second one, the same conditions prevailed as on the
first; many seals, turtles, iguanas, tortoises, many birds like those
of Spain, but so silly they do not know how to flee, and many were
caught in the hand. The other two islands we did not touch; I do
not know their character. On this one, on the sands of the shore,
there were small stones, that we stepped on as we landed, and they
were diamond-like stones and others amber colored; but on this whole
island, I do not think that there is a place where one might sow a
bushel of corn, because most of it is full of very big stones, so much
so, that it seems as though some time God had showered stones; and
the earth that there is, is like dross, worthless, because it has not

16 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Ot. Papers

the power of raising a little grass, but only some thistles, the leaf
of which I said we picked. Thinking that we were not more than
twenty or thirty leagues from this soil of Peru, we were satisfied
with the water already mentioned, although we might have filled
more of our casks; but we set sail, and with medium weather we
sailed eleven days without sighting land, and the pilot and the mas-
ter of the ship came to me to ask me where we were and to tell me
there was only one hogshead of water on the ship. I tried to take
the altitude of the sun that day and found that we were three degrees
south latitude, and I realized that with the direction we were tak-
ing, we were becoming more and more engulfed, that we were not
even heading for land, because we were sailing south; I had them
tack on the other side, and the hogshead of water I had divided as
follows: half was given for the animals, and with the other half a
beverage was made which was put into the wine cask, for I held it
as certain that we could not be far from land, and we sailed for
eight days, all of which the hogshead of the beverage lasted, by
giving a ration to each one with which he was satisfied. And when
the hogshead gave out and there was no relief for us, we sighted land
and we had calm for two days, during which we drank only wine,
but we took heart on sighting land. We entered the bay and river of
the Caraques on Friday, the ninth of April, and we met there the
people of the galleon from Nicaragua, who had left Nicaragua eight
months before, so we considered our trip good in comparison with
theirs.

The bay of the Caraques is at half a degree south latitude and on
the maps it is three degrees; from this bay to Puerto Vie jo it is nine
leagues along the sea-coast; and the said bay is one of the most beau-
tiful ports that there can be in the world, and the boats can moor
there, and they can sail up it three or four leagues and they do not
know whether any more. Commander Pedro de Alvarado landed
here and destroyed a town of Indians that was there and frightened
others; and it is a pity to see the havoc wherever he went with
his men.

From this bay I landed with the passengers and we set out on
foot, because our animals were worn out from coming to this town
from Puerto Viejo, and walking, we came to a valley which is called
Charapoto, which has a very good river, where there are many
Indians now peaceful, because Captain Francisco Pizarro has behaved
so well that he is at peace with about thirty chiefs. This captain and
lieutenant governor is so well looked upon l)y them that they bring
him food of corn and fish and venison, and whatever is necessary,
and if by chance when they go to see some land they capture some
Indians, they immediately return them to their native soil and
they give them a cross, so that on account of it no Spaniard will do
them any narm, and that any one who wants to come to see it should
l)ring some sign and that way no harm will be done to them. If
he learns that any gold or silver is taken from them, he immediately
has it I'eturned to them, and some of them have brought it to him

No. 25] SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 17

and he tells them that he has not come for their gold or their silver,
hut rather so that they may know God and your Majesty, and that
your Majesty will give them masters, who will have charge of teach-
ing them the things of the Holy Catholic Faith, and that, on account
of their solicitude, they must undertake to feed them. The keeping
of this Captain seems to me very very good for the serving of Our
Lord and Your Majesty, and for relieving your royal conscience; and
since he has a great thing to do, I have told him your Majesty's in-
tention in this matter, and he is determined not to deviate from it
very soon.

There are great gold mines, and here I have the information from
those who were with Alvarado, that six leagues from this town
there are very good gold mines. There is thought to be a bed of
emeralds, because the Indians have them in their jewelry; ordi-
narily the said Indians have their touches and points and some of
them of very great qualities. It is thought that before half a year a
good part of this land will be peaceful, owing to the good treatment
given them by the already mentioned captain and lieutenant; and
your Majesty should support him in it, and it is necessary consid-
ering the importunities of the men that he has, because they follow
with longing eyes every trace of gold that they see.

God willing, I shall leave for the town of San Miguel in four days.
The whereabouts of the Governor, Don Francisco Pizarro, is not
known at present. He is quite far from here, although some think
and they said that he is coming to the Town of Truxillo, which is
between San Miguel and Xauxa.

The Lord fill Your Sacred Majesty with holy love and grace for
many years and with the conservation of your realms and an in-
crease of other new ones as I hope. From this new town of Puerto
Viejo, the twenty-sixth of April, in the year fifteen hundred and
thirty-five. I am Your Sacred Imperial Catholic Majesty's most true
servant and subject and perpetual Chaplain who kisses your royal
feet and hands. Fray Tomas eps. Locastelli Auril.

Origin

The origin of the Islands is still a question of debate. Whether
they are oceanic islands thrust up from the ocean bed or whether
they were formed by subsidence has claimed the attention of the
most renowned naturalists and geologists from the time of Darwin's
voyage on the Beagle to the present day. When Darwin, Baur, Agassiz,
and many other scholars pursued their studies, they did not have
the advantage of those who came after them, being entirely unaware
that Pliocene fossils existed on certain of the islands; nor did they
have the flora and fauna at hand that enabled later students to draw
their conclusions.

18 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

There were two distinct schools of thought on the subject. Such
noted scientists as Darwin, Wallace, Agassiz, Wolf, and many others
were strong advocates of the oceanic theory, while Ridgway, Gadow,
Van Denburgh, Barbour, and Baur were in favor of subsidence.

It was, however, more or less a general opinion amongst many that
there was a Galapagos land mass extending much closer to the coast
than the islands do today, but not necessarily a direct connection with
the mainland.

The late Ur. John Van Denburgh of the Academy's staff made an
exhaustive study of the reptiles and came to the conclusion that at
one time there was a Galapagos land mass that gradually broke up
to form the present archipelago. Remarkably enough, he thought that
Duncan Island, which shows signs of great age, was an island in a
crater-like bay before the islands surrounding it were actually sep-
arated from each other. A parallel case in miniature is taking place
today, the crater of Narborough containing a lake with a small crater
near its center, which in turn contains a small lake.

Cartography

The position of the Galapagos was fairly well known to the early
navigators. Bishop Tomas, while on his voyage from Panama to Peru,
took the latitude and placed the islands as being between half a degree
and a degree and a half south of the ecpiator, so he was not far off in his
calculations as the main portion of the archipelago does extend 1°25'
south of the equator. The islands appear on Ortelius' Theatruni Orhis
Terrarum, published at Antwerp in 1570, as "Insulae de los Galo-
pegos," and in his Peniviae Auriferae Regionis Typiis, of 1574 they
are named "Isolas de Galapagas" and are represented as one island
witli two adjacent islets.

The Jesuit Father Matteo Ricci's Chinese Maps of the World ( 1584-
1608) show an area labeled "South Seas" and a group of islands in
the approximate position of the Galapagos, though no name is given
them.

The early navigators placed them about two degrees to Ihe west-
ward of the 80th meridian, ])ut Dampier, one of the early buccaneers,
claimed they were farther to the westward, and in this he was cor-
rect as the main portion of the archipelago lies west of tlie f)0th, and
all of it to the westward of the 8nth meridian.

While the Gah'ipagos appeared as early as 1570 on the chart of
Abraham Ortelius, as well as on other charts by various cartographers

No. 25]

SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

at laid' dates, no a1tonii)t was made to attach individual names until
William Ambrose Cowley made his chart of 1684 and Captain Col-
nett made his in 1798-171)4. They were named mostly after the Eng-
lisli king-s, admirals, the nobility, buccaneers, and early visitors to
the islands.

After 1570, the islands appeared on many maps of the early car-
togra])hers. A ma]> drawn by Guilielmus Hack, in 16S4, shows the

C;aI.I.AFA«6s tm.Xyiys , /ffJrrrl^^U Amhmme CowW •• lB«4

«M

I )

kUnd

LoHWraman*

Idamt

1 - — -

T Jf JC C R JE .4 T

Byml

Kami ar MuiniDoMs

S O U T H

Jl^l. »^« Kx*

BmJltv>tt4.

FtTf^tM

Di-M* or yomroLUt

ISLAXO

S E

KiliK (TiarU"*"!" l»lan«l

V ^;

trm^iJtuU ft'mrf 84 /hr*tfi du I.iutnt

fti

— •

\ It /». /,/^fiJ .iMiai Harm dr f.itr^tttln nm-fAtut tx tO ■ntlalf'm fr»m .USrm,tr4r {.rUlui

Fig. 6. First chart of tlie Galapagos Islands, made by Ambrose Cowley in
1684. He also made enlarged drawings of many of the islands, two of which
are shown in figures 7 and 8.

20 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

islands without individual names and the printer's name is not given.

Another map, printed for II. Moll of London, 1744, entitled A Map
of South America With aU the European Settlements d' whutever
else is remarkable from the latest & best Observations, shows the islands
in their relative positions and gives the old English names, as does
a chart by Samuel Dunn, ])rinted in 1787 by Laurie and Whittle of
London. A chart with no more data than the name Nueva y Correcta
Carta Del Mar Pacific a 6 del Sur, dated 1744, shows some twelve
islands with old Spanish names used as follows : Isla de Esperanza,
San Clemente, Isabel, Carenero, and Maria del Aguado. With the
exception of Isabel (Albemarle), it is impossible to name them by
comparing them with a modern map.

Mercator in his Orbis Terrae Compendioso Descripto of 1587,
represents the Galapagos as a cluster of islets just above the equator
and in his map of the New World, 1622, just below it. There seemed
to be no doubt to any of the cartographers that the islands were on
or close to the equator. Tatton's map, of 1600, represents the archi-
pelago by a small cluster of islets just below the equator, and Herrar's
map, of 1601, is practically identical.

In 1793-94, Captain James Colnett made a chart in which the
islands are fairly correct as to their relative positions. This was the
first chart that could be considered as at all workable. Arrowsmith
of London printed a chart in 1798 which is based on Colnett's, but
it is not nearly so complete inasmuch as coastlines are omitted and
Indefatigable, which is called Norfolk, is represented as a mere islet.
Also, much useful information given in the original chart is omitted,
such as places to water and careen ships, and to gather wood. It is
noteworthy that the famous Galapagos "post office" is marked on the
original chart, though no mention is made of it in Colnett's log.

In the early 1800's, three other charts of the Galapagos came into
being and ap])ai-ently were part of the work of Captain Colnett, though
none was as complete as his first one. All have the same error in the
coastline of Albemarle, each one showing a large bight in the south-
east coast of the island. Tiiis is the worst error in Colnett's chart,.
It was corrected in the survey of II. M.S. Beagle in 1835. The charts
in question are tliose of Captain l*()i'ter of tlie U.S. frigate Essex;
Captain P. Pi])on, K.N., of II.M.S. Tdf/us; and Captain -lohn Fyffe of
II. M.S. Indi faliqablc. None of them can be said to e(|ual th(> original
of Captain (V)lnett.

It was not until LS35 that a real survey was undertaken and that
was done by II.M.S. Beagle under command of Captain Kobert Fitz-

No. 25]

SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

Roy, R.N. This distinonished officer nuide a complete survey of the
archipelago and i)rodiiced a real navigational chart that was pub-
lished by the Ilydrograpliic Office of the Admiralty and used by all
countries from the date of the survey until the year 1942, when
another survey was made by the U.S.S. Bowditch.

During- the cruise of the Beagle, many detailed anchorages were
made on the following islands : Albemarle, at Iguana Cove and Tagus
rove; Charles, at Post Office Bay; Chatham, at Freshwater Bay and
Tarrapin Road; Hood, at Gardner Bay; James, at Sulivan Bay.

Ships of the Royal Navy going to and homeward bound from sta-
tion at Esquimault, B. C, stopped at the Galapagos on the lookout
for shipwrecked sailors on their inhospitable shores. They took ad-
vantage of their various visits to plot additional anchorages.

In 18-1:6, II.M.S. Pandora surveyed Conway Bay, Indefatigable
Island, and resurveyed Post Office Bay, Charles Island, and Fresh-
water Bay, Chatham Island.

^Midshipman G. W. P. Edwardes of the Daphne made a sketch
of the latter spot, showing the difficulties that would be encountered
watering on a rocky coast five miles off a lee shore, the prevailing

Fig. 7. Cowley's drawing of Albemarle Island.

CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

[Oc. Papers

winds being from the southeast. In later years, two more anchorages
were plotted by the British: Sappho Cove, Chatham Island, by
H.M.S. Sappho, after which the cove was named, and Webb Cove,
Albemarle Island, named after CI. A. C. Webb, navigating officer of
H.M.S. Cormorant, which made the survey.

The Italian, French, and United States navies also participated
in mapping the Galapagos. In 1882 and 1885, the Italian corvette
Vettor Pisani visited Wreck Bay, Chatham Island, and in 1887 Mid-
shipman Estienne of the French corvette Decres plotted an anchor-
age at Black Beach, Charles Island. In 1909, the U.S.S. Yorktown
charted Cartago Bay on the east coast of Albemarle, and as late as
1925, a reconnaissance of Darwin Bay, Tower Island, was made by
the U.S.S. Marhhhead. In the last general survey, made by the U.S.S.
Boivditch in 1942, there was at least one major correction, the re-
moval of the supposed well-formed crater on Indefatigable. This
crater appears on all charts to that date but is now known not to exist.
Since the islands were used as a military base during World War II
they have been flown over and mapped from the air, and the great
mountains no longer hold any secrets.

A;(lo)i' ri |.»1 i Dihohllic I liiKc o|; \()r||(ill\.il.sl;i n d. >-

v■.«■l^•lK■|i.,l

Fig. 8. Cowley's di-iwins of Indefatigable Island which he called Duke of
Norffolk's Island.

No. 25] SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 23

In May, 1932, Captain Garland Rotch of the yacht Zaca, while on
the Temploton Crocker Expedition of the California Academy of Sci-
ences to the Galapagos Islands, made two sketch surveys of anchor-
ages not yet charted. One of these was on the northeast side of Nar-
borough Island and he called it California Cove. The other was
Academy Bay, Indefatigable Island, locally known as Puerto Presi-
dente Ayora, although Academy Bay is its official name.

In 1892, the Republic of Ecuador renamed the Galapagos "Archi-
pielago de Colon," in honor of the famed mariner Christopher Co-
lumbus, and that is the official name. Galapagos, however, seems to
be preferred, and is more commonly used.

The survey made by Captain Alonzo de Torres, of the Spanish
Xavy, in 1793, under the orders of the Viceroy of Peru, was useless
as a navigational chart, but added some new names to individual
islands, though it is not possible to attach them to the correct ones
in most cases.

From a study of Cowley's map, the islands can be properly placed.
The large bight on the west coast of Duke of Norfolk Island (Inde-
fatigable) is Conway Bay and this gives a fix for Duncan Island,
though the island is a little off position. Albemarle and James are
decidedly so and taking this into consideration Duncan Island is the
Sir Anthony Dean's^ of Cowley, and his chart reads as follows:

Duke of Albemarle Island

The Earl of Abington's Island

Captain Bindlos's Island

Brattles Island

King Charles's Island

Grossman's Island

Lord Culpeper's Island

Dassigney's Island (Chatham)

Dean's Island (Duncan)

Ewres's Island (Tower)

King James's Island

Narbrough Island

Duke of Norfolk's Island (Indefatigable)

Lord Wenman's Island

Albanie Island

Cowley's Inchanted Island

Considerable confusion has resulted from applying so many dif-
ferent names to the islands. The following list of the more important

2 A famous shipwright in the reign of King Charles II.

CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

[Oc. Papers

Fig. 9. Map of the Galapagos Islands with the principal islands and locali-
ties named. Minor isJands, rocks, and other localities are indicated by number
as follows: 1. California Cove, 2. Cape Rose, 3. Union Rock, 4. Bura Rock,
5. Cartago Bay, 6. Blanca Rock, 7. Cowley Island, 8. Albany Island. 9. Sulivan
Bay, 10. Bainbridge Rocks, 11. Beagle Islands, 12. Nameless Island. 13. Eden
Island, 14. Conway Bay, 15. Guy Fawkes Islands, 16. Daphne Islands, 17. Gordon
Rocks, 18. Plaza Islands, 19; Wreck Bay, 20. Dalrymple Rock, 21. Kicker Rock,
22. Sappho Cove, 23. Terrapin Road, 24. Este Rock, 25. Whale Rock, 26 Lobos
Rock, 27. Gardner Bay, 28. Black Beach, 29. Onslow Islands, 30. Champion
Island. 31. Enderby Island, 32. Caldwell Island, 33. Watson Island.

No. 25]

SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

names will help to identify synonyms. [The present official names are
printed in boldface type. — Editor.]

English

Abingdon
Albany-
Albemarle

South Seymour
Bnrrington

Beagle

llindloe

Brattle

Bartholomew

Caldwell
Champion

Charles
Chatham

Cowley

Crossman
Culpepper
Daphne
Duncan

Eden

Enderby

Gardner

(near Charles)
Gardner

(near Hood)
Guy Fawkes
Hood

Indefatigable

learned after
Earl of Abingdon

George Monk, Duke of

Albemarle

Admiral Samuel
Barrington, R.N.

Captain John liindloe

Nicholas Brattle

Lt. David Ewen
Bartholomew, R.N.

Admiral Caldwell, R.N.

Andrew Champion,
whaler

King Charles II

William Pitt, First Earl
of Chatham

Ambrose Cowley,
buccaneer

Richard Crossman

Lord Culpepper

H.M.S. Daphne

Admiral Viscount Dun-
can, R. N,

Samuel Enderby, whaler
Lord Gardner

The English conspirator
Admiral Viscount Sam-
uel Hood, N.R.
II. M.^. Indefatigahle

Other names
Pinta, Geraldino

Isabela, Santa Gertrudis

Baltra
Santa Fe

Marchena, Torres

Tortuga

Bartolome

Santa Maria, Floreana
San Christobal, Dassig-
ney, Grande

Los Hei'manos
Darwin, Guerra

Pinzon, Dean

Espanola

Santa Cruz, Bolivia,
Norfolk, Porter, Val-
dez, Chavez, San
Clemente

CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

[Oc. Papers

English

Named after

Other names

James

King- James II

San Salvador, Olmedo,
Santiago, Clil, York

Jervis

Admiral John Jervis

Rabida

Nameless

Isla sin Nombre, Bewel
Rock

Narborough

Admiral Sir John Nar-
brough

Fernandina, Plata

Onslow

Plaza

North Seymour

Seymour

Tower

Grcnovesa, Ewres

Watson

AVenman

Lord Wainman

Wolf, Nunez, Gasna,
Genovesa Ewres

In addition to the above islands, there are a number of islets
which are referred to as rocks. The principal ones are as follows:
Bainbridge, Blanca, Bura, Dalrymple, Este, Gordon, Kicker, Lobos,
Eedonda, Union, Whale. The two outstanding rocks are Kicker Rock,
off the northern coast of Chatham, which has been referred to as
"Sleeping Lion," and spoken of many times by Captain Colnett
as the "remarkable rock," and Roca Redonda, about fifteen miles off
the north point of Albemarle. This rock was no doubt named on
account of its shape, redonda meaning square sail. Both of these rocks
are pictured on the chart of Captain Pipon. Both Captain Colnett on
the Rattler and Captain Porter on the Essex had difficulty with the
currents setting them too close to Redonda and narrowly escaped
hitting it.

Many of the capes and bays of the Galapagos were named after
the ships which surveyed them or after people connected with the his-
tory of the islands, such as :

Alhemarlc Island:

Banks Bay, after Sir Joseph Banks, famous botanist.

Essex Point, named by Porter after Frigate Essex.

Tagus Cove, II.M.S. Tagus, called Banks Cove by Colnett.

Cape Berkeley, The Honorable Ca])tain Berkeley, R.N.

Cape Rose, Jean Rose, buccaneer and companion of Davis (Davies)

AVcbb Cove, Lieutenant G. A. C. Webb, R. N.

No. 25] SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 27

James Island:

Cowan Bay (James Bay) named by Captain Porter in memory of

Lieutenant -lolm S. Cowan of the Frigate Essex, who was killed

in a duel and ])uried there.
Sulivan Bay. Lieutenant James Sulivan of II.^M.S. Beagle.

Ciiatham Island:

Sappho Cove, H.M.S. Sapjiho.

Indefatigable Island:

Academy Bay, American schooner Academy.
Conway Bay, H.M.S. Conway.

EARLY VISITORS

To list all the vessels which have visited the (Ia];i]iai>os would be
rather an impossible, as well as a useless task, many of them being mere
]Jeasure yachts with no serious purpose in view. The vessels of the
eai'ly visitors, men-of-war, and those engaged in expeditions, how-
ever, have a direct connection with the islands, being a real part of
their history, and it is to these that attention is given.

Before the opening of the Panama Canal, ships of the Royal Navy
going to, or coming from, station at Esquimault, invariably made
the Galapagos a port of call to look for shipwrecked sailors or chart
some particular anchorage. Men-of-war of several nations, including
the L'nited States, Great Britain, France, and Italy, have made reg-
ular surveys, or at least a reconnaissance of certain parts of the island
coastlines.

After their discovery, the Galapagos were deserted for some ten
years or more, their next visitor being Diego Rivadeneira who landed
there in 1546. A former captain of Diego Centano who had broken
relations with Pizarro and was now waging war against him, he was
sent to the coast to procure a vessel in which he and his companions
might escape the civil war then being waged by the Spaniards. On
arriving at Arica, he, by deceit and treachery, seized a ship, deserted
his commander, Centano, and put to sea so as not to fall into the hands
of the conqueror, Pizarro. Like Fray Tomas, he also encountered
baffling winds and currents and was carried out to the Galapagos,
where, like other visitors, he arrived short of food and water. He
was immediately struck by the size of the giant tortoises, the iguanas,
and the tameness of the birds, which he commented on when he finally
arrived in New Spain.

28 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

Incidentally, he is the first to make mention of the Galapagos hawk,
a striking' and familiar bird on many of the islands. Replenishing his
supplies, he once more attempted to reach New Spain and after a
difficult voyage, beset by calms and currents, landed in what is now
Guatemala. Strange to say, he, like the discoverer, gave no name to
the land he had visited.

When in 1573, Basco Nunnez de Balboa marched across the Isthmus
of Darien, he climbed the mountains forming the backbone of the
isthmus and was the first European to see the waters of the Pacific
Ocean. From his position, on the top of the mountain ridge, the waters
of both the Atlantic and Pacific were visible. The isthmus extending
in an easterly and westerly direction, he had the Atlantic at his back
to the north and the Pacific to the south, which he called the South
Sea and by which name it was thereafter known to the early navi-
gators. In these waters, bordering Central America and northern
South America, the buccaneers spent much of their time looting and
burning the coastal cities and towns and capturing the Spanish ships
they encountered. It was the Galapagos they used as a base to victual,
fuel, water, and careen their ships while cruising these waters in
search of their quarry. Among the most famous were Davis, Cook,
AVafer, Knight, Dampier, Ambrose Cowley, and John Eaton.

On April 8, 1684, Captains Eaton and Cook in the Nicholas and
Bachelor's Delight sailing from Juan Fernandez to the American
coast, sighted one of the eastern islands of the Galapagos on May 31,
1684. On board these ships were Dampier, Cowley, and Davis. Pro-
ceeding to James Island, anchorage was made on tlie west coast, to
the southward of Albany Island. Cowley named this anchorage Albany
Bay and it was thereafter one of the favorite spots of the buccaneers,
as it was here they found an abundance of tortoises, fire wood, and,
in tlie rainy season, a sufficient supply" of water for their ships.

Some one hundred years after. Captain James Colnett in tlie ship
Rattler visited this very spot and mentioned that some of his crew
found old stone jars, daggers, and implements of iron scattered about.
Here, the buccaneers erected shelters and made caches of provisions to
replenish Iheir stores on future visits, and it was here that Dampier
remarked 1h;it Ihe tortoises were very fat and tliat Ihe oil saved was
stored in jars and used instead of butter to eat with dum])lings.

On this visit, the presence of snakes in the Galapagos was first
mentioned, wlien Dampier said "Thei-e ai-e some green snakes on these
islands."

Among the precious documents ])ieserved in London are the diaries
of two of lliese ])uccaneers, Cowkn- and Davis, and as 1hev deal so inti-

No. 25] SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 29

mately with the early (iah'ipafios history, specimen pajjes of them are
reproduced, with the permission of the Britisli Museum, given from
photostatic copies of the originals. To portray a true picture of the life
of a buccaneer in the Galapagos over 200 years ago, transcriptions of
several pages of each diary are given below.'*

Excerpts fro:\i the Journal of Ambrose Cowley

May lG8>t

Our departure from the Lobos to the Hand Gallapagoes with the
description of those Hands and what wee did tliere

The 19th day of May about 5 in the afternoone wee departed from
the Lobos bound for the Gallapagoes which by the account wee had of
them were Hands lyeing under the line about 90 or 100 leagues off
shoare

Wee tooke all the prises with us and steered away N W by N till
within half a degrees from the Equinoctiall and had the winds at
S S W and S by W at last at So: a small gale and then our prises could
hardly maintaine their Latitute

The 31 : day of may about noone wee first discovered the Hands and
at 5 a clocke anchored at the Easter side of the Eastermost Hand in 16
fathom water hard sand a mile from the shoare Cap." Eaton came to a
mile to Leward of us and one of the Prises gott to anchor at the north
End of the Hand but the other two could not fetch in

There wee went a shoare and found the Largest Land Turtle that
ever I saw but the Hand rocky and barren without (A) wood or water

The next morning wee weighed and stood to the northward to fetch
in our two prises to any of the Hands where wee could get anchoring.

Wee came close under Captain Eatons sterne and desired him to
stand of to the Prises and help them in, for (D) our Captain being
sick desired to be a shoare therefore wee made our way to the next
Hand to (X) to Leward of us and at 2 a clocke in the afternoone an-
chored at the N E end of the next Hand in 15 fathoms clean ground a
quarter of a mile from the shoare and before night one of the Prises

(A) by the sea sides are small bushes of burton wood but none within land the Hand

being all rock and many Dita bushes among them

(D) he was taken sick at John Fernandoes and had never been well since

(X) to the northward at the north end of the Hand where he saw water running down

from the rocks

^[Because of his untimely death, the author left only tentative transcriptions of those
portions of these diaries which he wished to quote. These tran.scriptions have been re-worked
and completed with the assistance of a number of people, especially Mr. Alan E. Leviton, Dr.
Leo G. Hertlein, Mr. Ignatius McGuire, and Dr. John B. Gleason. The first three are staff
members of the California Academy of Sciences and were very helpful in deciphering certain
particularly difficult passages. Dr. Gleason is a member of ihe Department of English, Uni-
versity of San Francisco. He carefully went over the transcriptions, checked them against the
photostatic copies, and contributed a number of important final corrections and completions.
Owing to the lack of photostatic copies among the author's effects, it hai- been impossible to
check any others of his numerous transcriptions against the original manuscripts. — Editor.]

CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OP SCIENCES

[Oc. Papers

came to us but Eaton and the other two did not come in till the next

day after

There wee went ashoare and made a tent for our Commander
When we came first ashoare wee found severall large green turtles

on the land sleeping which wee turned on their backs to prevent them

Orb

[im-

-kw /.

^-y

-iT^itf A*V.'

jn a'u> >\x t //lc ;un //ft «;» of /A^ lUu" <^ . '.] /

->", ->^-,, 7,"

h (ii-i '-"^^^^^ clan J,}.^an? J jii/D'hr ,^ i\^ .nniU^tpm ,)lc

^it

,,,...,. ^f

u/r i .^'f.u/:<L

Fig. lu. The first of three pages from the diary of Ambrose Cowley. See the
accompanying transcription of this page and those shown in figures 11 and 12.

No. 25]

SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

from goeing into the water againe.' But the next day when wee found
more come a shoare to sleepe wee turned those on their bellyes again
which wee turned the night before for wee could go ashoare at any
time and (A[l] ) kill as many as wee had ocasion for

/■s^r'Trr

iiiKC u'S-f

•?^

Cy^-'f^^ .jtJS^ ,irntcjJ ^m'tfttri ^,^n^r UK-'-}^lJ<r4'//Q j'/iar<<_

^^(c^ fchim} '7 i'n //^- n'^'f-^ fea^^n .>/tP

^cc/ti ail' l^ i/cav-
ffiCtyx-

111

'f«.iie^ -(fOiji

Fig. 11. The second of three pages from the diary of Ambrose Cowley.

(A [1]) our cook went ashore every morning & where he picked & chused soe many as he
thought would serve us all the day for wee did eat nothing else all the time which we lay here

32 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

There is but ordinary rideing at this place unless within Cables
lenght of the shoare for it is steepe and the wind blows right off shoare
and if an anchor startes it never holds againe but you must putt to
sea and there is no rideing any where else about the Hand.

The Hand is likewise a barren Rocky Hand like the former but noe
water only in ponds which retaines it in the wett season and keeps
all the year

Wee stayed there twelve dayes and gott a shoare about 5000 sacks
of flower and piled them againe and heap'd for a store and there we
concluded to goe to Ria Lexa haveing a Pilott for it who told us it was
a very rich town and easily taken but before I proceed further I shall
give you the description of these Hands and what I have not of my own
knowledge I had from Captain Davies who was there afterwards and
careened his ship at neither of these that wee were at but at others to
the westward of them

These Hand called the Gallopagoes as I [I]

June lG8-'f

have been told doe reach from the latitude of one Degree south to 5
degrees north tending N W but of that wee have noe certainty there-
fore I shall only speake of these which I have seene which lay all of
them under or neare the Lyne within a degree of either side

These are about 14 in number most of them large considerable
Hands they all of them swarme with Land Turtle and guanos which
are both extraordinary fatt and sweete and the sea abounds with green
turtle and fish

I have allready given some relation of the green (A[2]) Turtle
Avhich are soe plenty there that though wee were about 200 soules yett
wee killed every morning on the Bay as many as served us all day the
whole time of our abode there and might have kill'd many more
though they differr in nature from the West India Turtle yett are very
sweet wholesome meate

And the (b) fish is as plenty there as at John Fernandoes
Guanos are as plenty there as in any place of the world and extraor-
dinary sweet meate but the Land Turtle as they exceed in sweetness
soe doe they in like manner in numbers for it is incredible to reporte
how numerous they are and I beleive there is not any place in the
world that have such plenty of these Creatures — Now left us consider
if there is any thing else worth of observation in these Hands

In the first place I have denoted those two which I was on, to be

(D Description of the gallapagos

(A [2]) the turtle is a large Creature living in the sea but conies ashore to lay eggs wch
are hatched by the sand there are three sortes of them, the green turtle the hawkes bill and the
log or head, the first are good wholesome meat but their shells very thin and used for inlay and
not worth above 4 d ye pound the hawkes bill are indifferent good meat in some places but
much ranker than the green turtle but each shell of great vallew but the Logerhead soe called
from ye bigness of his head is neither good flesh nor shell yet sometimes Eaton but they are all
better or worse meat according to the ground they feed in

(b) see page (66)

No. 25]

SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

l)ant'!i dry Hands. I must cont'ess my Curiosity would have carryed
me further in search to find any thing protital on them but our busi-
ness was not to search places to settle in. only to linde conveniencies

//^'u: H\^:f

' /lavc Ci-Cn. /..■'O');^^ reach nr/n />^*^ tn/i^a.J(_

X^^/ic /h>Jt<i^- Joii^/l. /.-» ^'^VyMVy /A'r//L /^rn-

-^CK'-I /r (1^ I'u/ J.^ /fai/ /i'Ci£ /lai-^ tirecetAunk

I //-

7:.',r

xr]f ..'

/^-cM^'T.r'^-t^y /.. ',rr" 7,..

^ .<' /.'".' ./; /'"ii'^f cx,.w

J,:'-

6i(

/-tv ,.'<-■ y-'J //u (/ /A i< ic //:.innc f in niifr:c'''r.< -,■ , -^

6/ A 6i^i^f- ^rr

(1: /(i

Fig. 12. The third of three pages from the diary of Ambrose Cowley.

34 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

to Cai-reen which at this time wee did not think convenient yett Cap-
tain (A[3]) Davies after I left liim came thither and carreened at
some Hands to the westward of these wh he found to be good habitable
Hands haveing a deep soft soyle which if cultivated would produce
any thing that grows in these Clymatts

They likewise are well watered and plenty of good timber fitt for
any uses and places enough to carreen in, soe that take them by and
large they are extraordinary good Hands where a ship in distress may
have any thing that can be expected from places not inhabitated for
there is both food and water and fire wood and timber for other uses
besides masts and yards may be had and good secure places to Car-
reen in and with a little payne salt may be gathered

Wee departed from the Gallapagoes bound to the Hand Cocos which
wee mist ....

this Hand where wee Lay is in 00° 30 m no Latt.

Excerpts from the Journal of Edward Davies^

Wee lay at Lobus above eight and forty houres, and knowing that
wee had more than an hundred prisoners on board not knowing where
to gett water, nor where to find a place of making a Magazeene for
flower but that wee should be hunted out and have our flower de-
stroyed, wee sailed away to the Westward to see if wee could find
those Islands called the Galipoloes, which made the Spaniards laugh
at us telling us they were Inchanted Islands, and that there was never
any but one Captaine Porialto that had ever seene them, but would
not come neare them to Anchor at them, and that they were but
shadowes and noe reall Islands. Wee steered away North AVest till wee
came under the Line, then wee Directed our Course West and West by
South, wee having the wind at South South East.

June 1684
About the beginning of this Month wee saw an Island on our Star-
board side making high Land and Low Land, being a very likely Is-
land to have water, upon being well Repleinshed with wood, but by
reason of the strong Current that runneth there wee could not fetch
it, That Island I named King Charles the Seconds Island, by my
Judgement it lyeth in the Latitude of one South Latitude and Thirty
Minutes — Longitude two hundred and seaventy eight Degrees and fifty
minutes standing still to the Westward I saw severall Islands, but
that which I liked ])est, I came to Anchor under in a good Bay having
seaven fathom water, there being upon this Island to the South end a
good Harbor for many Sliipps to ride, I beleive his Majestyes Navy
might ride iliere in safety, wee put the Boat a shoare, but found no
water there but wee found Land Turtle very great, and Sea turtle very

^Ambrose Cowley is followed in the spelling of Davies though it is commonly found
Davis in the literature.

(A [3]) when he was here the second time Eat nothing but Land turtle and gave 6 or 7
Jars of oyle for each mess

No. 25]

SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

good and large and great plenty, and a sort of ft'owles called fflemingo
with Goanoes, which our men brought aboard, the small Birds being
not in the least possessed with feare, they lighted on our mens heads

U--.AI-Ji

■r^

■ H,,fTfv%lt :

'.,<. »^/^..^ ^-i ,-iC^ t.x.f. >;Hl» r^r-rf- V,,-^;..< .«>,Jt,.-,^^' ,,4-»^ 'A'-^'A '7'<^\«P<3^^^V—

V •> . o-«»- n-i\\i nf~»..-„ „^„,,„' ,, ,Vii ^o ,« yo ">

•«- '«!»!' v». ,-;.?'.„., ;..,^

3 '»•«-•" JVIJ.;

> >*.'»JU<

'■• \.^ (n.s h.rt' „^JJ rCA-,- -r^i (L , " , ,f .- ^

■ .rM'l.'S . .., ',-,.'»>. .,-nA. .vtiii «.„„v 4

-t^,.K i^ .^ ,-, ,^^ t^ ^•^^^^

-n*

Fig. 13. A page from the diary of Edward Davies. See the accompanying
transcription.

36 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

and Armes and they tooke them off, which at first seemed strange to
me but I did the same my selfe after that.

This Island I named the Duke of Yoi-kes Island, but now by the
Grace of God King James the Seconds Island. The Island lyeth from
the Latitude of one Degree South to the Line Equinoctiall :

The Island on the East side of the Island stretches away West
North West and at the Westmost end is a goodly sandy bay about the
point where there lyeth a fine high Island very greene, which maketh
a good Harbor, where there is water, and good Turtle Sea and Land
Turtle and good ffowles in abundance, from that point the Land
stretcheth away South West and by South and further of King James's
Island, and the Duke of Albemarles Island, they stretching away all
one Course, differing not much in Latitude or Longitude, not more
than twenty Minutes, the Dukes Island stretching more to the North-
ward, and further to the Southward then that part of the Island that
I . . . withall, but I cannot say how farr his Ma jestyes Island stretcheth
away to the South East, by reason that most of those Islands having
had sulphurous matter that hath sett them on fire, they have beene
burned formerly, and some parts of them blowne up, the Land and
Rocks or some of them are lying in soe much Confusion that there is
no Travelling on them, the Land that has l)eene burnt seemed like to
Cindars, but very heavy, which made me thinke they were mixt with
some mettall, for the Mother of Mettalls is here in great plenty upon
this Hand which they say is Brimstone

June 1684:

Wee were sailing along the Duke of Albemarles Island, the sun
shineing made us thinke our hill had been coverd with Gold, when
wee came to see it, it was fine Brimestone as fine as flower. The Duke
of Norfolks Island lying to the Eastward of the Kings Island, lying
from the Latitude of thirty five minutes South to the Latitude of five
minutes North, and Longitude two hundred and seaventy seaven De-
grees forty two Minutes; I sent a shipp to discover it which sailed
alhnost round it, on the North side there is good Road, the Island being
about forty miles in Length, lying to the Eastward of King James's
Island tenne Leagues: King James the Seconds Island lyeth the North-
ermost end under the Line, and the Southermost end about one Degree.
The Island maketh like the point of a ffort, the Land stretcheth from
the Eastermost point West North West twelve Leages, the other part of
the Island stretcheth away to the Southward, the Northermost part of
it lyeth in the Longitude of Two hundred seaventy seaven Degrees
twelve Minutes and noe Latitudes, There being upon this Island Land
turtle allniost two hundred pounde weight a peice, I sate upon the
Back of one of them when they came aboard to try his strength, he
would have carryed me had I beene much heavier, the flesh of them to
many of our Judgements exceeded the sea turtle, although the sea
turtle there is as good as ever I eat in any part of the World, where
they have beene accounted most rare, ffrom King James's Island wee
sailed to another Island lying to the Westward of the Kings Island
stretching away to the Northward North West and bv West to the Lati-

No. 25] SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 37

tude of fifteene Minutes North the Land being very high up in the
Country by the water side making as you come in from the Eastward
like to a long Ridge or plaine hill the Eastmost side of it being an
Iron Shoare where there is no coming to an Anchor. It Looketh into
the Southward of King Jame's Island, I sailed to the North end thereof
where by thence I lett goe an Anchor in good ground, wee being then
five shipps in Company, three of them allmost Loaden with provision,
as flower, sweete Meates, and Sugar, wee seeking a place to putt this
provisions on shoare against a time of scarcity, this end l)eing the
worst part of the Island, yett it affordeth provision in abundance as
fllsh, turtle, Alguanas, and ffowles in abundance, this Island I gave the
name of the Duke of Albemarles Island there belonging to it a stately
Harbour lying on the West side thereof, wee sailed along the West side
of the Island towards the Southward ; this Island lyeth from the Lati-
tude of one Degree thirty Minutes South to the Latitude of fRfteene
Minutes North by Judgement for wee could not gett to the South end
thereof for the strong Current, but having seene it at a Distance,
there being in number fifteene Islands that I have seene, I have named
eight of them. . . .

June 1684

Wee sailed to the North West end of the Duke of Albemarles Island
where wee put on shoare fifteene hundred Baggs of fflower, wee carry-
ing our Captaine on shoare he having beene three weekes sick, wee
sought for water but could find none, wee were forced to go to the
Mayne to water ....

Raveneaii de Liissan, a contemporary of Cowley and Davis,
made some interesting remarks of his voyage to the South Seasy
in 1684. His journal states:

At noon on the eighth we crossed the equator, passing the Galapes
islands which lay west a dozen leagues off to the leeward.

These eight islands stretch north and south of Cape Blanco and
east and west of Queaquille. They abound in sea-tortoises that land
there all day long, while in the woods it is difficult to step without
finding land-tortoises and hordes of lizards and agoutis lying about.
These adjacent waters are also full of fishes, that come up to die on
land. On the other hand, these advantages are overweighed by the
shortage of water from which these islands suffer.

The following year (1685) Davis, accompanied by William
Knight, a fellow buccaneer, made a second visit to the Galapagos. On
arrival he took on some of the stores from the cache made on his pre-
vious visit and sailed for the coast of South America.

Davis apparently appreciated the islands as he again returned
in 1687 for his third visit to victual and careen his ship. After dry-
ing some fish, salting the flesh of tlie land tortoise, and filling sixty
eight-gallon jars with the oil of the land tortoise while he was repair-
ing his ship, he again set sail for the South American coast.

38 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

A later buccaneer was Captain Woodes Rogers, an Englishman,
who, in 1708, with a commission from the Lord High Admiral, set
out for the South Seas in the ship Duke accompanied by Captain
Stephen Courtney in the Duchess. Kogers was financed by some mer-
chants of Bristol with instructions to war against the Spaniards and
the French. On May 8, 1709, Rogers left the coast of Peru bound for
the Galapagos, which he sighted on May 16. The failure to water his
ships before leaving the mainland prevented any lengthy stop and
he left for the mainland to do so. September 10 found him back at the
Galapagos where he took on a supply of tortoises and wood and left
again to loot and burn the towns of New Spain and capture any Span-
ish ship he might encounter.

Tliough the buccaneers had not entirelj^ ceased operations, another
type of seaman appeared in Galapagos waters for the purpose of
exploration and annexing new lands.

One of the earliest of this type was M. de Beauchesne Gouin, a cap-
tain in the French navy, sent out by a company formed in France for
the purpose of establishing colonies in the countries of South Amer-
ica not yet occupied ])y Europeans, and also for trading his cargo
with Spaniards, although they were forl)idden to trade with any but
their own countrymen. He sailed from France on Desember 17, 1698,
on board the frigate PhiUppeaux accompanied by the bark Maurepas.
After a four-months visit to the ports of Chile and Peru, Beauchesne
sailed for the Galapagos, arriving there on June 7, 1700.

Ensign Le Sieur de Villefort, of the PJiilippeaux, reported that
neither fresh water nor trees were found, l)ut an abundance of fish
and tortoises were found to refresh the crews. From his descrip-
tion of the anchorage, his mention of a small island and the
finding of the materials for the repair of ships, the Fhilippeaux must
certainly have been anchored in what the buccaneer Cowley called
Albany Bay, James Island, the isle referred to as Isle a Tabac by
Villefort. According to his diary, the other two islands visited. Health
Island or Isle de Saute, and the Isle Mascarin, are no doubt Charles
and Hood in the order mentioned. At the latter island, he remarked
with surprise the sighting of a numl)er of large whales so near
the line. After a stop of just a month, he headed south for the passage
round the Horn and his return to Europe.

In 1720 Captain Clipperton, Dampier's chief mate and discoverer
of the island named after him, touched at the Galapagos to replenish
his supplies for his voyage to the Bay of Panama, but makes no
special mention of his activities. He cruised the South Sea, captured

No. 25] SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 39

two or three prizes, plundered the town of Truxillo, and finally lei't
for China.

The voyage of Captain James Colnett, K.X., was no doubt the most
outstanding of the early voyages. In 1792, Captain Colnett w^as com-
missioned by His ^Majesty's Government to investigate the ])ossil)ilities
of spermaceti-whale fisheries in the South Sea and his appointment
w^as received with great pleasure by Samuel Enderby & Sons, lead-
ers in the whaling industry of Great Britain. The matter of a proper
vessel for the voyage was a problem as there was none for sale on
the market. The Admiralty was petitioned for the loan of a vessel
and Ilis Majesty's sloop-of-war, Rattler, of three hundred and sev-
enty-four tons was selected. The alterations necessary for such a
voyage would make it impossible to turn the vessel back to the Navy
for further use as a vessel of w^ar, so the firm of Enderby & Sons
agreed to purchase it on release by His Majesty's Government. This
having l^een agreed upon, H.M.S. Rattler was stricken from the
register and Enderby & Sons stood the expense of the alterations.
Captain Colnett was granted a leave of absence to make the voyage
and the Rattler became an ordinary whaler. The voyage of this vessel
is so intimately connected with the islands that its log which follows
will be of deepest interest to any student of Galapagos history.

Before the extended visit which began on March 13, 1794, Captain
Colnett made a short stop from June 13 to 28, 1793, when, on account
of unfavorable wdnds, he sailed for the mainland. However, on June 25,
he hove to long enough to send a boat ashore to look for water, w^hich,
on finding none, brought back a tortoise and several turtles.

On June 27, he sent two boats ashore to look for water, both of
which met with no success. Tlie Rattler then was headed tow'ard the
Coast and did not return to the Galapagos until March 12, 1794, when
Colnett starts the log of his second visit. The account of the June,
1793, visit is as follows :

June 24, 1793

We saw one of the Galapagos Islands distant about 6 or 7 leagues
wore and stood off till dayliglit.

Wore and stood to the westward Ex of land from W 10 S to
W 30 N and the body which formed two points and overlaped as if
two different isles W ex from S E to W 3.5 S nearest land S 7 W
8 miles. Sent a boat on shore Lat. 00° 40' 0" S Long 89° OOW.

June 25, 1793

Light breezes and cloudy hove too and sent a boat on shore with
the chief mate. Boat returned and found no water but saw a number

40 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

of land birds, a few seals a tortoise a land turpan which they caught,
also several turtle, a turtle dove and a guana nor was there a single
vegetable that could be eat.

Light airs and flying showers. Found the current had set us
considerably to Leeward — made all sail. Lat 00° 38' 00" S Long.
89° W.

June 26, 1793

Mod. breezes and cloudy stood in for the land keeping the lead
going sounded 36 fthms at 5 or 6 miles distant to 19 fthms at l^^
distant at 4 o'clock came too in 19 fthm EX of land from S 13 W to
E 34 N a rock at the SW point like a sperm whales head mouth
open and up. I sounded all around the ship and towards the shore
the soundings gradually decreased and sandy bottom, landed with
two boats ahead the ship to look for water and sent a third to the
S W neither found any water but the boat that went to the Wt
found much sand which we supposed from the weight contained
some mineral ore.

Lat. 00° 45' - 30" S Long 89° 26'

June 27, 1793

Afternoon and night moderate breezes and cloudy at daylight sent
two boats away one east the other to west to search the isle for water
and in the evening they retd neither of them succeeding. Through
the day moderate breezes and pleasant weather. Procured many small
ducks or teal and other sea birds found in these climates also great
quantity of turtle of the latter more to be found on every beach
than a dozen ships could destroy the boat from the west brought in
a large quantity of the sand found yesterday and the crew had trav-
eled a long way inland. I also sent one party to travel to the Eward
in Land.

Lat 45' 30"

June 28, 1793

During the night strong breezes and clear towards day light
cloudy found nothing was to be procured here that could be ex-
pected from so large an isle in this climate at day light weighed and
stood along shore to the Et ward with intentions once more to en-
deaver to beat round to the S.

Lat 00° 38' S

June 29, 1793

Moderate breeze and Flying clouds. Many seal and birds accom-
panying us and great quantity of the cream colored spawn on the
water as we fell in with coming from the main

Lat 00° 47' 00" Long 88° 5'

June 30, 1793

Gentle breezes and hazy land N 5° W Distnt 7 or 8 Leagues
Lat 1° 1" S Long 89° W

No. 25] SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 41

July 1, 1793

Light airs cloudy with smooth W at 2 and pleasant sea. A small
island to the south bore from W to SW distant from the nearest part
4 or 5 leagues.

Lat 1° 19' Long 89° 39' W

July 2, 1793

Light breezes cloudy Made sail light breezes and cloudy the isle
first anchored at to Dist 10 or 13 leagues. Saw a large school of
porpoises. Mod breezes & cloudy many Birds accomp.

Lat 1" 25' Long 88° 33' 30"

July 3, 1793.

Light airs and Cloudy Saw many Black fish Porpoises & Albecores
— also turtles and sea birds. Slight winds inclining to calm and
cloudy

Made all sail

Moderate breezes few sea birds seen and no fish

Lat 1° 31' S Long 88° 00' W

July 4, 1793

Moderate breezes & cloudy All sails set Saw many porpoises
Black fish albecores & turtle also many sea birds. Shortened sail to
the topsails for the night.

Black fish porpoises and turtles seen many birds accompany Saw
a Hump back whale

Lat 1° 24' S Long 87° 16'

July 5, 1793

Light breezes and cloudy weather

Many boobies and other birds also porpoises and Black fish

Shortened sail for the night

Dark cloudy gloomy weather with appearance of a strong current
from many riplines seen all around.

Turtle Bonnetta Albecore Black fish and porpoises seen also
Man of War birds gulls etc.

Lat 1° 14' S Long 86° 00

The Battler then left for the coast of Peru and did not return
until ]\Iarch 12, 1794, when the second visit began.

March 12, 1794

Saw one of the Galapagos bearing south hauled up for it.

On March 13, 1794, the log is headed "At the Galapagos Isls."'

March 13, 1794

Moderate bj-eezes at N. E. stood along to the SW with an in-
tention of passing to the W of a Remarkable Rock resembling in
height and size and shape on several points of view one of the Kickers

42 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

which lay N of a Deep Bay in which one of the boats had good sound-
ings when here before off the Rock to the N of it 2 cables length
19 fm Rocky as we rounded to the West and South no sounding with
15 fm line and the wind hauling more to the E prevented now we are
getting into the East Corner.

We at last got sounding within a mile of the shore in the W
Corner a low point at 29 fm Rocky hauled out to beat up I set out
with a boat to Sound the bay found good bottom at the E point 5
or 6 miles from the shore 21 fm sand two points of the Bay NE &
SW the Kicker Rock W N W 2% miles got on board & tacked into
the bay with the ship and came too on the same Bearings — at Day
light sent two boats away one to the NE other SW to search the
lee side of the isle for Salt. The Jolly Boat also went a fishing under
the big Rock and in a short time caught great numbers of large
Cod which from 10 to 30 weight and also sea BREAM

Lat 00° 54' S Long 89° 36' W

March 14, 1794

Fresh breezes at N W by W & very strong tide ship would not
lay at single anchor steadied her with a Kedge at sunset land taken
for an isle bore W^t 10 S to W 10 N & another isle N 45 W thro the
afternoon many Devil fish seen and sevi seals at 8 PM Boat with the
whaling master retd from the SW port of the Isle but could find
no salt or fresh water in a small bay at the West End found a whale
plank of a large ship neither worm eaten or decayed — only the iron
— he also got thirty sealskins & as many green turtle as he pleased
with some few seal and saw great quantity of mullett & also a Devil
fish the Jolly Boat was also sent this afternoon to the Rock to fish
but having no hooks but what were made without a forge or with
the Cabin Bellows in a half tubb out of iron hoops nails & sail
needles — the sharks at the Isle Socoro having taken all the others
away had very poor success — but one singular circumstance was a
seal took hook and they afterwards got it out thro the night light
winds North & Wtly supposed the kedge had come home and fouled
the Bower, sighted it & came too again & steadied as before at Day
light the whaling master set out to over haul the Bay we lay in for
salt &c

Lat 0° 52' 40" S Long. 89° 36' W

March 15, 1794

Winds thro the afternoon as yesterday whaling master retd
without any salt & only one seal in the eveng landed behind a small
isle in the head of the Bay which form a small cove sheltered from
all winds with sevl sandy beaches on which a ship may lay on
shore an Excellent place also to fix a tent a great quantitys of mul-
lett & green turtle to be caught but unfortunately we had no seiene
to catch the fish if wanted but I believe no one would eat them that
could get turtle. The whaling master caught a seal & 17 young

Through the night wind N & W

The second mate who had been long ailing and in addition to other
complaints a bad head which he had received by hurt the latter

No. 25] SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 43

end of the year growing worse with three others who had boils the
worst of them went on shore for the day.
Lat 0° 22' 28" Long 89° 36' W

March 16, 1794

Winds as before weather changeable with flying showers the
Chief Mate returned from the S E part of the isle without finding
any salt saw a few seals and caught a few land and green turtle
and saw two very small runs of water one out of the bluff that
forms the N E part of the Bay we lay in and the other out of a bluff
at the East end of the isle neither of these places had any run when
we were here before and I conjecture its a Basin on the top as on
the N. W. Coast of America which contains water all the year

Night and forenoon cloudy Hazy light winds and calms alternately

Lat [No position marked for this date]

First part of the afternoon variable latter part wind from Wst
to N W X W Cloudy most of the crew on shore or liberty in the even
they returned one of them caught a snake 4 ft long only the size of
my little finger

Flying showers very changeable and heavy thro the night at 4 a m
began to heave our anchor up by 8 got it & kedge stowed it was at
this time very cloudy over the land and also around the horizon with
light airs of wind mostly west'ly that we did not by noon only get
3 miles S of the Remarkable Rock in the Bay the weather at this
time began to look as gloomy and heavy as ever I saw it and the
least I expected was a heavy tornado but it ended in a torrent of
rain from noon till 8 at night when it ceased.

March 17, 1794

Ex of the Isl at anchor N E by E to SW by S the Remarkable
Rock SSW & mineral mount E by N

While beating out between Mineral mount & the big Rock our
sounds was regular and good Bottom and we neared each shoaling
gradually from 14 to 30 fm on the Mount side & 18 to 30 for the Rock.

No observation

March 18, 1794

Light & calm alternately Var wind & torrents of rain with con-
stant small rain and threatng Wear. Short sail occasionally Re-
markable Rock SW SW by W Ex of land from E by N S b W i/. W
Hove too Breeze and rain ceased calm & cloudy strong current setting
us to the SW

Lat 52' 22" S Long 89° 56'

March 19, 1794

Light airs & variable with frequent showers and heavy S'ly swell
Breakers said to be see ahead and many other isles to the S & W of us

At noon the Body of the Western most W 10° N Body of the
Eastern most E 19° N Dist from the western most 11 or 12 miles
away many small islands in sight

Lat 31' 15" S Long 90° 9'

44 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

March 20, 1794

Light winds and hazy with S'ly swell. Shortened sail for the night
& sounded 150f'" no bottom stood off and on for daylight the isle
intending to land on from N 26 E to N 3 E Dist 9 or 10 mi Many
seals seen

Made sail found the current had set us so far to Leeward as
scarce to discern the Isle intended to land on At noon the Isle off
last night a large isle which I take for Albemarle N 15° W to N 10°
W & a small flatt Isl. Gave chase to windward with boats and ship
to sperm whale

Lat 31' 51" S Long 90° 9'

March 21, 1794

Light winds & very hazy weather neither boats nor ship could
come up with the whale. Weather with heavy S'ly swell many seals
seen Found the set to the S & W so great & the wind so light very
uncertain when we should get up with the isle we wished bore up for
Albemarle Isl Many seals and storm petrels

Lat 1° 19' 32" S Long 91° 6'

March 22, 1794

Moderate Breezes & very hazy hove too & sounded 150 f"" no bot-
tom Dist 3 or 4 miles from the shore shortened sail & ply'd to wind''
for the night Sounded 150 f^ no bottom

Moderate breeze & heavy S'ly swell innumerable quantity of storm
petrels & a few seals seen at noon within a few miles of the shore
of Albemarle Is,I

Lat 1° 19' 32" Long 91° 6'

i March 23, 1794

Moderate breezes & cloudy. Sounded 150 f™ no bottom Boat went
away to sound the Bay finding no bottom within a mile of the shore
& saw nothing but an Iron Bount Inhospitable barren coast the dist'
part of the Bay too far off to reach before dark and wind blowing
right out with an overfall that a boat would scarce line, the ship
had by the time the boat joined got between two eddies of wind made
by the south point & cor of the Bay & it was with some difficulty
we got clear out by 10 at night and hove too at noon Ex of land from
N 12 E to E 37 S

Lat 0° 35' 6" Long 91° 33'

March 24, 1794

Light breezes and showers at times within a few miles of Nar-
borough Isle and doubtful of clearing the shore the current setting
so strong

Light and cloudy found the current set as along shore at noon
Ex of Narl)orough Isle from S 21 E to S 52 E a high Bluff the N W
point of Albemarle Isle from E 4 N to E 27 N Rock Rodondo N 5 E
5 or 6 Leag.

Lat 0° 35' 6" 91° 33'

No. 25] SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 45

Sent a boat away to sound under the N W point of Albemarle Isle
for anchorage

March 25, 1794

Light airs and hazy with showers of small rain laying too for the
Boat returned and found the N W part of the isle as Inhospitable and
barren as the SW no anchorage for a ship caught a number of ex-
cellent rock cod and a Hump Back turtle no other seen but on sev-
eral parts of the shore a few seals

Light airs gave chase to a sperm whale at noon Rock Rodando
E 25 S got alongside the sperm whale

Lat 0= 37' 13" Long 91° 28'

March 26, 1794

Light airs and hazy employed flenching saw a large body of
sperm whale Boats gave chase & killed 3 & got them along side.

Light airs & cloudy

Saw sperm whale in the S at noon flenching and got on board
all our blubber & made sail Rock Rodondo E 7° S Ex of land from
E 14 S to S 39° E

Lat 0° 21' 34" N Long 91° 52'

March 27, 1794

Light airs and variable employed cutting and boiling saw spout-
ing fish a long Dist to windd suppd to be sperm whale at sun set saw
two dead whale at a long dist. too late to go after them.

Light airs inclining to calm saw another dead whale got it along-
side & flenched it at noon land covered in haze strong current set-
ting to the NW

Lat 0° 18' 22" N Long 92° 06'

March 28, 1794

Light airs very hazy with heavy S'ly swell

Shortened sail and hove too

Light breeze and hazy made sale at noon Rock Rodondo N 56° E

Lat 0° 11' 37" Long 91° 45'

March 29, 1794

Light & Cloudy inclining to calm

Fresh breezes with heavy rain in showers found another dead
whale but unfit for use

shortened sail for the night
finished boiling saw dead whale bursted
Body of Narborough Isle SE by S
Lat 0° 10' 35" N Long 91° 51'

March 30, 1794
Light airs and hazy weather

Light wind & Hazy made said saw sperm whale gave chase killed
one and got it along side at noon Rock Rodondo E 25° N
Lat 0° 10' 35" N Long 91° 45'

.IB

46 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papkrs

March 31, 1794

Light airs & hazy & S W swell

calm

Light airs & SW Swell

N W point of Albemarle Isl E 4° 30' S other land covered in haze

Lat 0° 8' 48 N Long 91° 38'

April 1, 1794

Light and hazy with heavy SW swell
Seals porpoises Black fish Bonetta Albecore, etc.
Caught large Albecore Black fish porpoises &c as before & sev'l
Breaches to the E^ard
Supposed sperm whale
at noon Rock Rodondo E 14 S
Body of Narborough Isle S E by S
Lat 0° 22' 0" N Long 91° 40'

April 2, 1794

Light breezes & heavy SWy swell

Porpoises & other fish and birds as yesterday

Sent a boat to Rock Rodondo to fish gave chase to a sperm whale

Lat 0° 24' 29" Long 91° 36'

April 3, 1794

Light airs and hazy weather hazy weather

Made the boat signal at the rock to join the chase

Boats ret'd killed 5 sperm whale but night coming on only secured
3 alongside saw one of our whales killed last night and got it along
side the current having drove it near to 4 leagues from where it was
killed

Got all our blubber and heads in made sail to look for other whale

Lat 0° 16' 38" Long 91° 54'

April 4, 1794

Light airs & hazy weather & S W swell
Porpoises and Blackfish innumerable

Rock Rodondo E N E Heavy dew calm & hazy Porpoises seals &c
as before

Land covered in haze Finished boiling
Lat 0° 14' 28" Long 92° 10'

April 5, 1794

Light airs and pleasant weather but hazy saw whale spout and
Breach whale and porpoises ennumerable seen
no sight of land at noon no sight of land
The ship set to the N

April 6, 1794

Light winds and hazy with S W swell Few fish or birds of any
kind scene & no sight of land. All sail set Lightning in the N W

No. 25] SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 47

Set Royals and mizzen top gallant sail no sight of land ship set to
the N and Wtward

Lat 0° 55' 19" Long 90° 20'

April 7, 1794

Light airs very heavy S W Swell caught a turtle no sight of land
caught a Bonnetta Strong set to the wnvd no sight of land many por-
poises saw sev'l turtle no sight of land a strong set to the N &
Weward

Lat 0° 32' 32" Long 94° 15' 80"

April 8, 1794

Light breezes and heavy haze

Large Bodys of Hump Back and fin Back Whales seen also por-
poises

Inclining to calm

Saw Albemarle Isle bear E S E 11 or 12 leagues. Saw a sail inshore

Lat 0° 8' 34" N Long 91° 45'

April 9, 1794

Light and hazy Saw a sperm whale
Ship fired a heavy gun Calm & thick weather

Fog cleared the ship making sail after us & not liking her ap-
pearance made sail from her
Lat 0° 19' 52" Long 91° 52'

April 10, 1794

Moderate breeze and smooth water Chase coming up with us.
Cut the ships taffrail down to get our two guns out over the stern
found no chance of escaping the chase hove too and prepared to make
the best defensive resistance we could at 5 the chase spoke us found
her to be the Butterworth of London from the N. W. to Europe & at
those isles in search of water.

Ship in calm Land covered with haze

Lat 0°17' 0" 91° 49' 30"

April 11, 1794

Light airs and thick fog inclining to calm & SWi swell
Albemarle Isl S E at intervals clear Ship in company
Lat 0° 33' N Long 91° 57' W

April 12, 1794

Light airs with S"iy swell at times foggy saw Culpepers Isle Light
winds very hazy at noon Culpepers Isl N b W & N part of Albemarle
Isle S E by S

Ship in C°

Lat 0° 49' 40" Long 92° 3'

April 13, 1794

Light airs Siy swell & very hazy inclining to calm with a strong
set to the N^wara

48 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

Culpeppers Isle N & N part of Albeme Isle S 35 E
Lat 0" 53" Long 92° 03'

April 15, 1794

Calm Killers & Porpoises seen SE swell Albemarle Isle SE by E
12 or 15 leagues

Lat 0 - 41' 20" Long 92° 39'

April 16, 1794

Moderate breezes & Hazy wear with S'ly swell and strong N W
current Capt. Sharp of the Butterworth having agreed to remain with
us to the end of our voyage by which the good of each parties owners
was reciprocally considered. When we arrived at Albanie Bay King
James Isle Galapagos to refit and sail together whaling and sealing
he being short of casks asked us to supply him with 20 tons of casks

& he us a certain quantity of salt in exchange & in every other

respect to assist each other but not in partnership

Lat 0° 14' 34" Long 91^ 39'

April 17, 1794

Strong breezes & Hazy with confused sea. The slings of the main
yard broke and main yard came on deck at the same time starboard
fore topsail sheet gave way by which we drifted considerably to lee-
ward our consort hull down to windward beating up for Albanie
Bay King James's Isle

Fin Back whale and porpoises seen

Lat 0" 27' 37" Long 91° 24'

April 18, 1794

Light breezes and hazy all sails set

Fin Back whale and porpoises seen Beating up for Albanie Bay
King James's Isle

Our consort hull down to leeward
Lat 0° 19' 40" Long 91° 16' W

April 19, 1794

Light winds hazy wear Strong riplines of currents all sail set beat-
ing up for Albanie Bay King James's Isle Sent out boat to speak
our consort Boat ret'd not being able to overtake our consort Albe-
marle I S by W thro the haze Our consort Hull down a Head

Lat 0° 46' 53" Long 90° 28'

April 20, 1794

Light airs and hazy weather inclining to calm
Saw our consort in the N E descernable from the
Lost sight of our consort Light airs & very hazy part of Albe-
marle Isle seen

Lat 0° 32' 26" N Long 90° W

April 21. 1794

Light Breezes & Hazy made all sail

Black fish and porpoises seen Saw our consort in the West dis-

No. 25] SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 49

cernable from the Mast head Albemarle Isle in sight In haze Abing-
ton Isle E & N to E Dist from shore 3 or 4 miles our consort cumming
Lat 0° 38' 57" Long 89° 46"

April 22, 1794

Light breeze & clear Sent the Chief mate to surround the isle in
search of Salt fresh water or refreshments for the crew Number of
Black fish and porpoises The Butterworth joind Co & was now re-
duced to one Butt of water supplied them 3-30 gallon casks Saw
Fin back whale

Abington lise S 20 E Distant from nearest shore line 3 or 4 miles

Lat 0° 50' 16" Long 90° 57' 30"

April 23. 1794

Light breezes Boat having surrounded the Isle & found the only-
anchorage in a Bay at the S point sandy bottom at 2 miles from the
shore 7 ft™ he also brought turpin green turtle & Rock Cod but saw
no salt or fresh water.

Light breezes & vary many Black fish Bindloes Isle E 1° 30'
No Abington Isle S by E

Lat 0° 16' 36" Long 91° 4'

April 24, 1794

Moderate Breezes and Hazy Wet'ir. Bent the cables and got anchor
over the side at noon the isle taken for James's Isle point E by S
the nearest shore 10 or 11 miles Butterworth in Co

Lat 0° 5' 40" N Long 70° 15' W

April 25, 1794

Light Breezes Standing into a Bay in the Nt'i part of what we
take for Albanie Bay James's Isle at 2 pm came to anchor in 12 fms
Sandy Bottom and steadd with the Kedge N point of Albemarle Isle
W 25° No S point of the Bay at anchor S 24° W and on with the
S part of what we take for Albemarle Isle The N Point of the Bay
formed by a small green Isle laying about two miles from the shore
and which I take for Albanie Isle N 34 W — the head of the Bay
E 17 S a small rocky point a mile from us NE by E Butterworth in
Co Sent the Chief mate around the south part of the Isle to look
for water

Lat 0° 10' 00" S Long 90° 40'

April 26, 1794

Moderate Breezes and hazy sent our boats on shore to search
for water at sun set ret"! no appearance of any. Several stone jars
found supposed to have been left here by Buccaneers Procured some
seal sand turpin and Rock Cod I went myself with Cap" Sharp to
overhaul the Bay supposed Albanie Bay the surf was too great to
land but we saw no appearance of water Light winds around the
compass all night at Day light the whaling master set out to search
the Bay supposed to be Albanie Bay for water by 8 he retd having
landed on some rocks and walked to it found no water but great

50 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

numbers of jars supposed to have been left there by Buccaneers
Sev'l parties thro the forenoon searching other places for water but
none found

Lat 00° 10' 00" S Long 90° 4' W

April 27, 1794

Light airs and pleasant for the first part Employed refitting our
ship for homeward bound At dusk chief mate ret'd who had nearly
surrounded the Isle & no way convinced of it being James's Isle from
the description at sev'l places he stopped found numbers of jars
old iron and a decayed dagger & several other articles decayed with
time & which we still conjecture was left here by the Buccaneers
None of our boats being fit to leave the ship 24 hours began to re-
pair them

Lat 0° 10' 0" S Long 90° 40' W

April 28, 1794

First part moderate & cloudy with drizzling rain latter strong
breezes and hazy promised Captn Sharp to half our water with him
provided he kept co & all hands to go on allowance

Carpenter caulking and all employed preparing for doubling Cape
Horn as this being the Last port we could touch at Supplied the
Butterworth with water

Lat 0° 10' 00s Long 90° 40'

April 29 1794

First part of the 24 hours strong breezes Employed as yesterday
Supplied the Butterworth with water
Lat 0° 10' 00 S Long 90° 40'

April 30, 1794

Cloudy Employed Supplied the Butterworth with water
Lat 0° 10' 00" Long 90° 40'

May 1, 1794

Cloudy with drizzles

Capt Sharp went in his boat & found water right abreast his ship
Strange conduct in a man that had not a gallon of water in his ship
Should after the first Afternoon anchr"! & next day search not found
no water to give it up & get his daily supply from us till now

Lat 00° 10' 00" S Long 90° 40'

May 2, 1794

Nothing remarkable happened fitting our ship fleeting rigging
caulking — -painting &c

Lat 00° 10' 00 S Long 90° 40'

May 3, 1794

For Sea sent Capt Sharp his casks 20 ton but only received 8
in lieu of 10 Butts of Salt

Lat 00° 10' 00" S Long 90° 40'

No. 25] SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 51

May 4, 1794

Gentle Beezes & clear weathr

Lat 00° 10' 00" Long 90° 40'

May 5, 1794

Light Breezes & pleasant Weathr

Lat 00° 10' 00" Long 90° 40'

May 6, 1794

Moderate Breezes & clear weathr Employed Painting & Scraping
of ship — Breaking up the Hold
Lat 00° 10' 00" Long 90° 40'

May 8, 1794

Heavy rains

Light & Pleasant weathr

Lat 00° 10' 00" Long 90° 40'

May 9, 1794

Gentle breezes and clear

Bent the sails

Employed gathering wood and preparing sails

Light airs and hot sultry weathr

Lat 00° 10' 00" Long 90° 40'

May 14, 1794

Moderate Breeze & thick May weather

No mention is made of hoisting anchor on May 13 and the entry
for the next day shows the ship at sea: "Left the Galapagos for the
Coast of Peru."

Another visitor of note was Captain George Vancouver in His
Majesty's sloop-of-war Discovery. On Tuesday, February 3, 1795,
Vancouver passed l^etween Culpepper and Wenman, remaining in
sight of them for two days, being harassed by light and variable
winds, Init making a little progress toward the south he came within
sight of Albemarle, Narborough, and Roca Redonda. Proceeding
southward along the Albemarle coast, a boat was put off and a Mr.
Whidbey and Mr. Archibald Menzies, botanist of the expedition,
made a landing to the southward of Cape Berkeley to examine the
character of the country. Finding the shores afforded neither fuel
nor fresh water, the landing party remained on shore only a short
time, but noted the adjacent area was subject to much volcanic
activity, and, on February 9, Vancouver concluded his examination
of the Galapagos shores and headed southward.

Amasa Delano, an early explorer, made his first stop at the
Galapagos on his voyage around the world in 1801. He made consid-

52 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

erable comment eoneerning the natural history, particularly on the
giant land tortoises and the iguanas. He is the first to remark on
the small lizards (Tropidurus) known as lava lizards, probably being
struck by the brilliant red coloring of the head and the sides of the
neck. He gives an excellent description in his journal of the water-
hole in the vicinity of Tagus Cove, northern Albemarle, from which
he watered his ship, and which was used by the Expedition of the
California Academy of Sciences to the Galapagos Islands over one
hundred years later. Lord Byron, commanding H.M.S. Blonde, found
this waterhole nearly dry when he visited it for the purpose of wa-
tering his ship on March 27, 1825, and, as a consequence, his crew
went on short rations.

ENDERBY WHALERS

Even before the voyage of the Battler, British and American
whalers had entered the Pacific and were in Galapagos waters. Sam-
uel Enderby & Sons were the leaders in the British whaling industry
and were sending ships to the South Pacific as early as 1788. In that
year, Samuel Enderby and Sons fitted out the whaler Emilia for a
cruise around Cape Horn, and a letter to George Chalmers, Esq.,
dated Paul's Wharf, June 28, 1790, gives notice of her return: "The
sliip EmiJid, James Shields, Master, returned from a whaling voyage
on the Coast of Peru last March. As she was the fir.st ship that ever
whaled in the Pacific Ocean, we put on extra quantity of all stores
to preserve the liealth of the crew on so inhospitable a coast."

A second letter states : "We are the only owners who have sent a
ship around Cajie Horn. Some owners object to the confinement of
the Latitude, others to the time the act obliges them to stay out, which
is 18 months."

Enderby com])lained to the Crown about the difficulty of getting
.stores left over in the King's warehouse, petitioning to have them
left there and take an oath that the duty had been paid on them.

From this voyage, the Emitvi I'cturned with 140 tons of si)erm oil
and 888 seal skins. In 1788, Enderby and Sons had four whalers listed
as going to llic \ves1\vai-(l of Cai)e Hoi'ii:

Emilia 278 tons James Shields, ^Faster

Friendship 217 tons Abisha Delano, blaster

Greenwich 256 tons Jolm Locke, Master

Kent 2fi5 tons Paul Pease, ]\raster

No. 25] SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 53:

111 addition to these, five other vessels witli various owners are-
listed :

Alderny Curtis, Owner Ilaleron, Master

BeUisarius blather, (3wner Anderson, Master

Britannia Wordhill, Owner Simpson, Master

Forthill Shodtred, Ow^ner Pinkham, Master

Muriam Hill, Owner Woodstoncraft, Master

The early days oi' whaling were not without their perils, as indi-
cated by the letter of Samuel Enderby to Lord Ilawsbury, dated
February 4, 1790 :

We understand that the treaty between our Court and the Court
to Spain, by which our ships have a right of going into their ports
in the South Seas in case of distress or want of water is not in
print we think with submission if your Lordship would order a num-
ber to be printed at the Kings Printer for the use of the Fisliery,
one side in Latin, the other in Englisli, that it might be an induce-
ment to many Captains to go around the Cape as they then would
know and be able to produce proof that they have a right of going
into Spanish Ports in case of necessity. At present, we have not
been able to persuade more than two of our Captains (both English-
men) to go round as they are fearful if they meet with any accident
or sickly crews and are in want of water or go into any Spanish
Port they will be made slaves for life.

Samuel Enderby, Jr., voyaged to Boston to get information con-
cerning the w^hale fishery and engage Nantucket men to come to Eng-
land and sail on the British whalers. One of his rivals in whaling,
Alexander Champion, for whom an islet in the Oalapagos is named,
was desirous that the whaling in the Pacific should be carried on from
Britain, so that there was considerable rivalry among the whale men.

Samuel Enderby, however, seems to have been acknowledged as the
leader in the industry; a memorial to him, dated .lauuary '21, 1786,
states :

Mr. Samuel Enderby, who lives at Pauls Wharf was the first ad-
venturer from Britain in the Southern whale fishery and who perse-
vered in it during the war has had the greatest experience and has
now the largest concern in it, having five ships equipped and is fitting
two more.

Enderby realized a large fortune from the whaling industry and
passed aw^ay in 1798, at liis home in Blackheath, in his seventy-ninth
vear.

54 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

The British were not alone in the whaling indnstry in Galapagos
waters as the New England whalers were very much alive to the
value of the Galapagos whaling grounds, and in 1791 six whale ships,
one listed as being fitted out at Nantucket, sailed for the Pacific :

Beaver Worth, Master

Favorite Folger, Master

Hector Brock, Master

Rebecca ]\Ieader, Master

Warren Barnard, Master

Washington Bunker, Master

The late 1860's saw the end of the whaling industry on a large
scale, the sinking of the "Stone Fleet" and the ravages of the Con-
federate cruiser Shenandoah in the northern Pacific raising such havoc
that it was never restored.

VISITING MEN-OF-WAR AND SEALERS

From 1800 on, whalers, sealers, and the warships of various nations
were frequent visitors. In 1825, H.M.S. Blonde, the Right Honorable
Lord Byron commanding, anchored at Tagus Cove, Albemarle, while
en route to the Hawaiian Islands with the bodies of King Kameha-
meha II and his consort, both of whom died in London while guests
of the British Government. Although Lord Byron remarked about
the tameness of the birds and beasts (no doubt the sea iguanas),
strange to say he made no specific mention of the giant land tortoises
which must have been abundant at the time of his visit, especially
on Albemarle.

In 1822, Captain Basil Hall, while in command of H.]VI.S. Conway,
made a stop at tlio southern point of Abingdon Island, where he set
up his instruments to determine the compression of the earth at the
equator. Though he was only about half a degree north of the line,
lie I'ci^orted tliat his results were not as satisfactory as those made
in liis own country. During the stay of the Conway, Captain Ilall
experienced a phenomenal temperature for the Galapagos, the ther-
mometer rising to 93°. His schedule did not permit a longer stay,
so the shij) was stocked with tortoises, numerous on Abingdon in
tho.se days, and sailed from the Galapagos.

Tlioimh the voyage of H.M.S. Beagle to the Galapagos in 1835,
with Charles Darwin as naturalist, was of short duration, the visit
being only of five weeks, in which (Miathanui, Charles, James, and
Albemarle islands were visited (Sei)tember 15-October 20), it is by

No. 25] SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 55

far, and always will be, the most famous, for his theories propounded
from his studies made on the voyage ui)set the scientific world of that
day and his writings pertaining to the voyage are still held as classics
by the world's naturalists.

The islands further claimed the attention of the Royal Navy
when, on April 6, 1838, H.M.S. Sulphur, Captain Sir Edward Belcher
commanding, set sail from Cocos Island for the riala])agos and made
Abingdon Island on April 18, passing within two miles of the west
shore. After three days of experimenting with currents and tem-
peratures, the Sulphur w^as caught in a calm and finally made Callao
Roads some twenty days later.

The visit, in 1846, of II.M.S. Herald, Captain Henry Kellett com-
manding, and accompanied by II.M.S. Pandora, is interesting in that
its naturalist, Berthold Seeman, states that no tortoises were found
and that there were numbers of wild dogs on Charles Island. Be-
sides numerous goats and pigs, the settlement claimed about two
thousand head of cattle. The descendants of these animals still run
wild on the island and are responsible for considerable destruction.
The elevation of the settlement was given as 461 feet, and the posi-
tion approximately where the permanent springs are at present.

On February 4, 1870, Read Admiral Sir Arthur Farquar, on
his flag.ship II.M.S. Zealous, visited Charles Island and an account of
the cruise was compiled by the officers of the ship. Ten years later
(1880), Rear Admiral Frederick Henry Sterling was a visitor on his
flagship, H.M.S. Triumph, but made no special comments. In those
daj's, it was customary to be on the lookout for ships in distress or
for shipwrecked sailors.

H.M.S. Hyacmth, in 1895, while returning to England from sta-
tion at Esquimault, anchored at Black Beach Roads, Charles Island,
and two of her lieutenants, Wintour and Chadwick, gave a thrilling
account of being attacked by "huge Spanish mastiffs" as they headed
up the trail for the springs.

British ships of war continued to call intermittently to as late
as 1913.

As far as the Royal Navy was concerned, the year 1905 saAV the
beginning of the end of the Esquimault Naval Station, when the num-
ber of ships was reduced from seven to one, leaving the lone gunboat
'Shearwater to make the annual patrols to the north in the summer
and to the south in winter, when it visited the Galapagos in search of
stranded sailors or shipwrecks.

56 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

The Italian corvette Vettor Pisani, G. Pahimbo commanding, vis-
ited the Galapagos in 1884-1885, where it surveyed Wreck Bay and
visited Duncan Island. Here it was reported as taking some tortoises
and making botanical collections on Charles and Chatham islands.

Captain Francisco Vidal Gormaz, of the Chilean Navy, visited the
islands on the Cluicahuco in 1837 and wrote of his experiences in Del
Anuario Ilidrografico, volume 15, 1890.

An American frigate, the Potomac, Commodore John Downes com-
manding, arrived at Charles Island on September 30, 1833. He was
formerly First Lieutenant of the Essex on Porter's famous cruise.
Downes found the colony established by Villamil, a Frenchman, who,
after the Louisiana Purchase, had left that territory and obtained a
concession from the Government of Ecuador to establish a colony on
Charles Island, Ecuador having annexed the Galapagos. At the time
of the visit of the Potomac, VillamiPs colony was doing a flourishing
trade with the whaling ships, selling them such produce as vegetables
and fruits. Downes reported that during a single year thirty-one
whalers had stopped at Charles Island to replenish their supplies and
to take on water. Some tortoises, close to the last of the native ones,
were brought to Boston. By 1846 the tortoises native to the land
were practically extinct owing to the steady demands of the whalers.

Although United States men-of-war were not as frecpient visitors
as those of Great Britain on account of the Esquimault Naval Base,
the flag was shown there from time to time. In the early 1900's the
U.S.S. Rochester, formerly the Neiv York of Spanish American AYar
fame, called at Stephens Bay, Chatham Island, to be followed in 1909
by the first squadron of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, commanded by Kear
Admiral William T. Swinburne on his flagship West Virginia.

The French frigate La Venus, Admiral Abel du Petit Thouar
commanding, spent from June 21 to July 15, 1838, in Galapagos
waters. There are no records of her adding anything to our knowl-
edge of the tortoises, but during her stay some birds were taken and
botanical collections were made on Cliarles Island. These are now
housed in the herbarium of llic Museum d'TIistoire Naturelle. Paris.

The Swedish frigate Eugenie, Rear Admiral C. A. Virgin com-
manding, wilh Dr. Kinberg as zoologist and Professor N. J. Anders-
son as botanist, was a visitor in 1852, calling at Albemarle, Charles,
Chatham, Indefatigable, and -lames, whore general collecting was
undertaken.

According to the 1 radii ions of the sea, the fi'igate ])icked up a

No. 25] SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 57

stranded iiuiii while at Charles Island and the following is a transla-
tion of an entry which was made in the log:

Charles Island, 16 May 1852

On the island met a North American seaman with the name An-
derson— and after finding out that he was the only one left on the
island, the chief insisted on taking the man on board to sail on
the frigate.

The Eugenie's arrival in Ilonolnlu was given considerable notice,
including the following in the Marine Journal, Port of Honolulu :

Arrived

June 22, 1852 His Swedish Majesty's Frigate Eugenie, Virgin,
36 guns, 34 days from Galapagos Islands.

The Friend noted the Eugenie's arrival as follows:

His Swedish Majesty's Frigate Eugenie.

This is the first Swedish man-o"-war that has ever visited the
Islands. She is now nine months from Sweden, upon a cruise, i)artly
commercial, and partly scientific. On the passage, she touched at
Portsmouth, England, Island of Madeira, Rio, Monte Video, Pata-
gonia, Valparaiso, Callao, Guayaquil, Panama, and Galapagos Islands.
She will proceed on leaving Honolulu to San Francisco, and from
thence to the Society Islands, Sydney, China, Singapore, Cape of Good
Hope, and homeward.

Captain C. A. Virgin

Scientific Mr. Johnson

Botanist Mr. Anderson

Among the many vessels engaged in the fur trade in the Pacific
during the middle 1800 's were the ships AtaJa, O'Cain, Avon, and the
schooner Traveler, all of which were in Galapagos waters in 1816-
1817. The brig Tamaahnumh was there in 1825. No doubt these ves-
sels were attracted by the Galapagos fur seal, which, on account of
persistent hunting, has now become an extremely rare animal, being-
confined to Tower Island. And, of course, the whalers did not hesi-
tate to "knock off whaling for a spell" if they saw the opportunity to
gather a sizable cargo of seal skins.

Sealers and whalers were particularly active in those days and as
communications were not as they are at present, it was customary
to speak to each other at sea and then to report on arrival at their des-
tinations in order that the news might be published and shi]i owners

58 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

be advised as to the whereabouts of their vessels, and whether the
eateh was good or bad. The shipping news was eagerly scanned by
mariners in general, and the following items from the early maritime
news published in Honolulu, an important port of call for whalers,
shows how valuable it was and how favored Galapagos waters were
as a whaling ground.

SPOKEN 1849

March 12, off Galapagos Islands, spoke ship Massachvseti.s, Chase,
of and from New Bedford 7 months. 150 bibs, sperm, bound for coast
of Japan.

Gallipagos Islands 1858

May 20 (northward) Am. Wh. Sch. E. A. Luce 50 sperms.

May 20 Bk. Chile, 90 sperms. 140 blackfish.

MEMORANDA July 1872

Report of the Whaling Bark Active, Campbell, Master — ^ Sailed
from New Bedford 11th of November last — touched at Juan Fer-
nandez and transferred oil to a homeward bound vessel: touched at
Talcahuano March 20th and remained two days, thence proceeded to
Gallipagos and cruised along slowly until north of the line, and was
some time in company with bark Northern Light, Smith, which re-
ported 116 barrels of sperm since leaving New Bedford in October
last, and was bound direct to the Arctic. Took four sperm whales in
vicinity of Galapagos and crossed equator May 20th thence to port.
Had moderate weather and arrived the evening of 7th inst with 175
barrels of sperm all told.

Report of the Schooner Kaviaile. I. B. Peterson Master. ^ — -Left
Honolulu April 12, 1873, for a whaling cruise. Cruised around south
of Hawaii for three weeks — Arrived at Galapagos on the 1st. Janu-
ary 1874. Cruised about two weeks without seeing whales. Cruised
along in Lat. 1° S to Long. 110 W; saw whales three times and took
two — arrived in Honolulu Feb. 27 with 60 bbls. sperm oil.

THE UNITED STATES FRIGATE ESSEX

On April 17, 1813, the United States frigate Essex, David Por-
ter, captain commanding, arrived in Galapagos waters and, next to
H.M.S. Beagle, is the most famous ship connected with the history of
the islands. This little vessel of 860 tons and 32 guns practically de-
stroyed the British whaling fleet in Galapagos waters and was a con-
tinual source of worry to the British until her capture at Valparaiso,
Chile, March 4, 1814.

Despite the heavy burden upon his shoulders. Captain Porter
made many interesting observations on the fauna of the Galapagos
while on liis cruise, and was the first to remark on the differences in

No. 25]

SLEViN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

Fig. 14. The U.S. frigate Essex. Captain David Porter commanding, made
history in Galapagos waters during the War of 1812 and vies with H.M.S.
Beagle as being the most famous ship connected with their liistory.

the tortoises of the various islands, being struck primarily liy the shape
of the shell, the dome, and saddle back varieties. Also, he made
remarks on the lava lizards (Tropidurus), probably being struck like
Captain Delano 1)y the bright red colors of the head and throat on
some species.

()w August 4, 1813, the Essex arrived in James Bay. Porter states
that he dropped anchor in six fathoms of water, within a quarter
of a mile of the middle of the beach over a soft and sandy bottom.
He moored with the bower anchor to the southward and the stream
to the northward, the SW part of Albany Island bearing NW X N,
Cape Marshall, Albemarle, NW and the west point of the bay SW X S.

AVhile liere. Porter landed four goats and some sheep from the
Essex, and, as he states, they being so tame, left them without a keeper,
carrying water ashore for them each morning. One morning, however,
they disappeared and a searching party failed to locate them, so he
concluded they had found some fresh water and would remain inland.*^

" These animals were afterward seen by the crew of H M.S. Tagus on July 30, 1814.

60 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

Porter, as did other early visitors, made a chart of the Galapagos,
which is now in the files of the Admiralty. Many valuable papers,
however, must have been lost, especially those of the chaplain, David
Adams, who, being a surveyor, was sent by his captain to explore
the islands in detail. On capturing the Essex, Sir James Hillyer, com-
manding H.M.S. Phoehe, stated, "There has not been found a ships
book or paper of any description (charts excepted) on board the
Essex."

One of the tragedies on Porter's cruise was the death of acting
Lieutenant John S. Cowan, who was killed in a duel with Lieutenant
of Marines, John M. Gamble. A misunderstanding between the two
officers resulted in a duel being fought on the beach at James Bay,
and Cowan, victim of the code of dueling, forfeited his life. His re-
mains were buried with the honors of war on August 10, 1813, Porter
renaming the bay Cowan Bay in honor of the deceased officer.

NiJes Weekly Register (1814-1815) gives the following account
of this affair which so saddened Captain Porter and deprived him of
a valuable officer:

On James Island, in the South Pacific Ocean, on the 10th of Au-
gust, 1813, Midshipman Jolin S. Cowan, late of the United States
Navy. At the time of his decease he was acting lieutenant on board
the United States frigate Essex, to which post he had been tempo-
rarily appointed by his gallant commander, in consideration of his
high professional merit and his enthusiastic devotion to the service
of his country. He possessed in an eminent degree the esteem and
confidence of his commander, and of his brother oflScers generally,
and gave the strongest indication of future greatness, in his profes-
sion promising at once to become an honor to his country and his
family. But alas! His destiny was otherwise ordered. An unhappy
dispute with a brother officer, (Lieut. Gambel, of the marines) led
on to a duel, in which fell the subject of this article. The intelligence
of this distressing event occasioned the deepest regret in Captain
Porter. No previous information of any misunderstanding between
the parties had been received by him. or he could have at once pre-
vented the catastrophe that ensued. All that remained for him was
to lament what it was now too late to remedy, and to pay every
mark of respect to his remains, which were entombed with the hon-
ors of war, on the island before mentioned. In a strange and remote
part of the world he fell, — far, far from his kindred and his native
soil, hut his grave was hallowed by the tears of his countrymen
and his brave associates in arms. A neat simple structure was raised,
to point out to the stranger who might visit the island, the spot of

No. 25] SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 61

earth where he remains rested, and on it were inscribed, by his
friend Lieutenant M'Knight. the following monumental lines:

"Sacred to the Memory of
Lieutenant John S. Cowan,
of the U.S. Frigate ESSEX,
who died here, Anno. 1813,
Aged 21 years.

His loss is ever to be re-
gretted By his Country
And mourned by his friends
And brother officers."

The only record found of anyone visitino- Cowan's grave since the
date of his burial is that of Lieutenant John Shillibeer, Royal Marines,
who makes the following remarks concerning the stop of II.^I.S. Briton
to James Bay on July 17, 1814:

At James Island we found a good anchorage, a considerable quan-
tity of wood, and at the foot of an exceedingly high and remarkable
mountain, a small stream of water, near which is the remains of a
hut of an unfortunate Spaniard, who was left there by his com-
panions, and where he remained nearly two years.

Among some green bushes near the beach is the tomb of Lieut.
Cowan, of the United States Frigate Essex, who fell in a duel with
Mr. Gamble of that ship. That this unfortunate young man was
much esteemed by his brother officers, is evident by the great respect
they paid to his memory.

Before leaving the anchorage, Porter buried a bottle near the head
of Cowan's grave with a letter to his First Lieutenant John Downes.
As the latter never returned to James Bay, this bottle must still be
intact.

In recent years, efforts have been made to locate the grave of Lieu-
tenant Cowan without success. On the Third Presidential Cruise of
the U.S.S. Houston, Captain G. N. Barker, U.S.N. , commanding,
a stop is recorded at James Bay where a futile effort was made to
locate the last resting place of Cowan.

A serious attempt was made by the late Captain Sherwood Pick-
ing, U.S.N., when on board the U.S.S. Mallurd in 1911. He visited
James Bay and his search also proved unsuccessful, leaving the rest-
ing place of Lieutenant Cowan still a mystery.

This unfortunate affair in no way aff'ected the career of Lieutenant
Gamble. He was given command of one of Porter's prizes, the

62 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

Greenwich, and after many harrowing experiences survived the
war of 1812. He passed away on September 11, 1836, as Brevet Lieu-
tenant-Colonel in command of the marine garrison at New York.

With him, while in command of the Greenwich, was Midshipman
William W. Feltus, a youngster of fifteen, who was killed by the na-
tives while landing at Nukuhiva in the Marquesas, where Porter had
gone to repair the Essex and throw the British frigates in search of
him off the track. Gamble, no doubt, saved the boy's journal and
brought it back to the United States where it is now preserved in the
archives of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. His own, in pos-
session of his grandson, was destroyed by the great San Francisco
Fire of 1906. The journal of Midshipman Feltus is a most interest-
ing account of the daily life aboard a Yankee man-of-war and gives
many items of interest to the Galapagos student. The part given per-
tains only to his experiences in those islands:

Journal of Midshipman Feltus

April 10th off Lobes de Tieri'o at 3 in the afternoon discovered a
sail ahead made all sail in chase at 4 the Isle of Lobos de Tierra
bore E 12 miles distant at 7 shortened sail at 8 fired a shot at the
chase spoke her a Spanish Brig the Barclay to windward at 8 a. m.
point Aguja in sight which is on the main a great number of seal
playing in the water at meridian clear. Ajuga bore E. dist 7 miles
Just discovered Point Payta which is in Lat. 5° 3' S and Long.
81° 2' West according to Bowditch

South jAguja Lat. 5° 59' S Lat. Obs 5° 49' South

Point I " Long. 81° 4' W Long. W 81° 11

11th 1813
Commences Pleasant at sun down Hauled off the land at 8 stood
for Payta saw 2 sails at 11 spoke 1 and the other passed on the above
sails were two Catamerans or a parcel of logs lashed together having
1 mast and 1 sail at meridian spoke the Barclay and hauled off Point
Payta bearing E X N Dist. 9 Lat 5° 4' s Long 81° 11' W

W. W. Feltus
12th, 1813
Commences Pleasant land in sight at sundown shortened sail at 7
made sail and Hauled off at meridian Pleasant

Lat Obsd 4° 7' South
Long 83° 5' West

W. W. Feltus
April 13 1813
Commences Pleasant the Barclay in sight ends Pleasant course
N W by W 14 VV Dist 65

Lat Obs 3° 19' South
Long 84° 2' West

W. W. Feltus

No. 25] SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 63

14th

Commences pleasant at 8 P M the American Capt went on board
the Barclay at 8 A. M. got the powder out of the magazine ends
Pleasant

Lat obs 2° 22" South
Long 85° 00" West

W. W. Feltus

15th

Commences Pleasant standing to the N<i and W(i under easy sail
Ends ditto

Lat Obs. 1° 57' South
Long 86° 3' West

W. W. Feltus

16th
Commences Pleasant at 5 P M got the lower steering sail out and
the men went over board to swim Ends Pleasant

Lat Obs 1° 44' South
Long 86° 30' West

17th
Commences Pleasant at S A. M. discovered the isle of Chatam
[Chatham] one of the Galipos [Galapagos] Islands there has been a
strong current setting to the nd W^ Ends very hot Chatams [Chat-
ham] isle on the weather bow

Lat. Obs 1° 28'
Long. 89° 9'

W. W. Feltus

April 18th off the Galipos [Galapagos] islands at sundown hove
to off Hood island and sent a boat into the bay to see [if] there were
any vessels there this isle has the appearance of being fruitful the
land is very low at 7 spoke the Barclay at 11 the boat returned with
news there [were] no vessels there Hauled the wind and stood to the
Nti at daylight bore away for Charles Island there being many isles
in sight at 9 there being a great number of men of war birds about
the ship the man on the royal yard caught one of them at Meridian
hove to off Charles Island sent the boat into the bay to see if there
were any vessels there this isle is not very high there are some trees
thinly scattered over it.

Lat 1° 30' South
Long 90° 30' West

W. W. Feltus

April 19th off Charles Isle Wind light and from the WJ it has
been from the S^ since we left Mocha until a few days ago at 4 P. M.
the boat returned and brought some letters that were left there by
some whalers also some birds with long bills and a bag under their
bills that would hold 2 gallons of water, also a large hair seal filled
away and stood for Albemarle at 12 P M calm Albemarle in sight at 9

64 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

A M light airs Capt Porter went on shore in his gig with the purser at
Meridian Albemarle bore N. Dist 6 miles and the Barclay South

Lat 57' South
Long 91° 25' West

W. W. Feltus

April 20th

Albemarle is high land also green a ship may approach within
% mile of the shore as we advanced to the S W Point the land looked
very black I learned from those that were on shore that the isle was
a solid rock in some places it was covered with a thin lair of dirt
and covered with bushes from this it appears that this isle has been
formed by a volcano there is no water on this isle although the
clouds rest continuously over it in fact none of the Galapagos Islands
have water except one viz Charles Island at 4 P M the gig came
off and brought the following articles viz. 5 or 6 shags or large black-
birds and a Penguin they brought a number of other birds also as
many laguanas as they could carry this animal has a rough or rather
scaly skin and has a head like that of a frog only much larger it
has four flippers and a long tail this animal runs very slow it meas-
ures about 3 feet in length its flesh is delicious they found a great
number of turtle on shore also some large seal the turtle were so
large that they didn't bring any off for fear of bilging the boat they
also brought off a number of seal skins standing around into the Bay
light airs from the Ea at 9 A M Lieut Downs went on shore at the
isle that forms the Nd Boundry of the Bay at Meridian in Elizabeth
bay

Lat Obsd 33' miles S

Long 91" 10' West

W. W. Feltus

April 23<i
Commences sultry ran into Banks Bay at sundown the boat went
on shore at 2 A M she returned lying too in the Bay at daylight the
Capt went in his gig to look for the watering place. Ends sultry

Lat South 00° 11'
Long 91° 24 West

W. W. Feltus
This Bay is formed by Narborough Isle and Albemarle

April 24th, 1813 Bank Bay

Commences hot with light breezes from the W^ at 6 P M The
Capt returned with a number of green turtle also some Iguanas which
were of a red and yellow colour a great number of fish seal skins et
cetra they had turned 30 turtle and left them on their back. Capt
Porter ordered Mr. Dowell Master to go on shore with 2 boats and
bring them off and when the moon rose to turn as many as possible and
to come off at day light accordingly he took Jolly boat and sent Mr.
Isaacs & myself in the green Cutter. We landed about 7 o'clock
to the N'l of the place where ships usually anchor we made a large

No. 25] SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 65

fire on the Beach & got (J turtle in the boat pulled out of the Bay
& ran farther north where we landed not without difficulty for there
was a great many rocks near the shore & also a surf setting on the
shore it was very dark we got on the rocks several times, when we
landed we found that Jolly Boats crew were here and were building
a fire there were only 11 turtle here out of 30 that had been turned
on their backs the tide had risen so much that it had carried the
rest off. I turned in on the sand having my great coat under my head
at 1 A M or at moon rise we went in search of turtle but found but
one at 8 A M went on board made sail out of the Bay in search of
the Barclay that we had not seen since we came into the Bay soon
after she hove in sight at 10 we were taken aback with all sail set
ends hot

W. W. Feltus

April 25th, 1813

Commences pleasant Breezes from the W<J at 1 P M 4 of the boats
went a fishing at 4 P M the Barclay ran down into the Bay at sun-
down the boats returned with a great number of fish also some Pen-
guins in the morning cleaned up Capt RandoU on board ran to the
Nd with the Barclay at Y2 past 10 crossed the equator in Long 91° 45'
West at Meridian Narborough Bore S by W Dist 8 leagues

Lat obs'd 0° 9 N
Long 91° 44' W

W. W. Feltus

N. B. When Capt Porter was on shore he found no watering place
the sides of the mountains are in some places covered a foot deep
with ashes and the shore is nothing but cinders there is also a crater
on the North Head there is a great deal of wood on this isle.

W. W. Feltus
there are a great number of sharkes in the Bay

April 26tli

In sight of Albemarle Commences pleasant standing to the Nd
with the Barclay I suppose that there is a current setting to the
Nd, at 5 P M lost sight of Albemarle in the clouds or haze that set-
tled on it during our stay at and about this isle we found it was
generally calm from 0 P M to 10 A M at which time a breeze sprung
up from the Wd, there is a good anchorage down in Banks Bay Ends
warm with breezes from the N^ this day obs. in Lat 1° 5' North Long
91° 50' West

W. W. Feltus

April 27th 1813
Commences pleasant Barclay astern at 5 P M disc<i the land bear-
ing S S E at day light no land in sight, (during last night calm as
usual) I Believe we are going to James Isle at noon obsd in Lat 1° 14'
North Long 91° 30' West

W. W. Feltus
N B I think the land we saw last evening was James Isle at noon
this day it was very hot

66 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

April 28th

Commences hot at 5 P M 6 months ago we lost sight of the Cape
of Deleware at which it was cold and blustery and now it is very hot
making the best of our way for James Island there is a strong cur-
rent to the Nd Wd Ends hot and clear

Lat Obsd 1° 8' North
Long 91° 25' West

W. W. Feltus

April 29th 1813

Commences hot at ? clear at day light fortune smiled on us for
we discd a sail soon after we disc<i 2 more close together gave chase
at 7 came up with and took the British ship Montezuma laden with
sperm oil soon after it fell calm those other two ships were hull down
manned all the boats and rowed after them in the following manner
Lat 1° 4' North gig 1 whale boat 3 cutter

Long 90° 20' W Pinnace Jolly Boat

1st cutter 2nd cutter

The boats ?

April 30 1813

Commences warm rowing after the ships (I was in the cutter)
at half past 1 the ships fired 2 guns apiece to windward and hoisted
the British flag, we pulled up under one of their sterns she had 2
guns pointed at us we immediately hoisted the American Ensign the
ship gave us three cheers which we did not return boarded here
she immediately struck to us we manned her and went to the next
she had 1 gun run out abaft and 1 in each gangway and ready to
fire we ran along side and boarded hauled down her colors this last
ship the Policy threw overboard near 100 terrapin the first ship
was named the Georgiana made sail for the Essex sent the provisions
on board and sent officers and men on board in the morning employed
sending for the peoples things Ends hot

Long 91° 16' W
Lat 1° 5' N

W. W. Feltus

May 1st 1813

Commences warm in company with our convoy Wenmans Island
in sight ends hot

Lat 1° 1' North
Long 91° 40' West

W. W. Feltus

May 2nd 1813
Commences pleasant Land in sight in company with our prizes

Ends warm

Lat obsd 1° 3' South
Long 91° 30' West

W. W. Feltus

No. 25] SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 67

May 3'^ 1813

Commences warm sent some men on board the Georgiana for to
mount her guns in order to fit her out for a sloop of war at 7 P M
I was ordered on board the Barclay in the place of Mr. Cowan to at-
tend to the signals during the forenoon the Essex's boats employed
in carrying the guns from on board the Policy to the Georgiana
on board the barclay obs'd

Lat South

Long West

W. W. Feltus
May 4th 1813

Commences pleasant Wenmans Isle in sight not far Distant
the Essex to windward great numbers of Bonita & Albicore about
the ship Ends Pleasant in company with the Essex & her prizes
Lat 1° 10' North The Currents are so changable & so strong that
it is folly to attempt keeping Dead Reckoning.

May 5th 1813
Commences Pleasant in company with the Essex and her prizes
Wenman's Isle in sight standing to the Na Ed Ends pleasant

W. W. Feltus
Lat obs'd 1° 46' N

May 6th 1813

Commences Pleasant made and took sail occasionally in company
with the Essex & prizes at 11 A M rec'd some additional signals from
the ESSEX

Obs'd lat 2° 11' North

May 7th 1813

Commences Pleasant beating to the S<i Ends ditto in company
with the Essex & prizes

W. W. Feltus
Lat 2° 5' North

May 8th 1813

Commences Pleasant at I/2 past 9AM the Georgianna rec'd her
commission (as the U S Sloop Georgianna) from the Essex the
Essex hoisted her colors & Motto and the sloop hoisted hers and fired
a salute of 17 guns the above ship is commanded by the 1st Lieut
of the Essex Mr. Downs Ends Pleasant

W. W. Feltus
Lat obs'd 1° 52' North

May 9th 1813

Commences pleasant the Essex took the Montezuma in tow she
sailing worse than any in the convoy at 5 P M the wind fresh
Capt Porter came on board the Barclay I learnt that they had built

68 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

bulwarks on the G Anna & that she carried 16 guns Ends fresh in
company with the Prizes & Frigate.

W. W. Feltus
Lat Obs'd 1° 19' N

May 10th 1813

Commences & Ends pleasant Beating to windward

W. W. Feltus
Lat ° ' North

May 11th 1813

Commences pleasant ends ditto the Galapagos in sight

W. W. Feltus
Lat 22' South

May 12th 1813
Commences pleasant land in sight ends pleasant running for
Charles Island which is in sight

W. W. Feltus
Lat 57' South

May 13th 1813

At 5 P M came to with the Essex & prizes at Charles Island at
% past SAM the Barclays boats went on shore after terrapin I
went in one of the boats in going to the black beaches we came very
near running on a rock we landed but found no terrapin but there
were a great number of turtle up the beach we found recent marks
of five and of people having been on the isle the land is rocky and
is of volcanic productions it is low near the shore we found fresh
water about three miles upon the isle also a great number of terra-
pin some of which were very large I carried 2 down to the landing
which completely fatigued me

W. W. Feltus

May 14th 1813

At noon Capt Porter came on shore here but soon went off again
at dark got 40 terrapin in the boat we went on board the Barclay
at i/> past 5 A M a sail hove in sight which proved to be the sloop
Georgianna which had separated from us 4 days ago she stood to the
jsjti Wfi the Essex's boats went on shore this morning for wood and
water at 7 started the 2nd time after terrapin we rowed around the
north east part of the isle where we landed for water but found none
soon after we landed at a place called Pats Landing which takes its
name after an Irishman that was left here 5 years ago and having cut a
great many capers and having a garden about 2 miles from this
landing raised all kinds of vegetables and sold them to the whale
ships that stopped here at length having stolen a whale boat he
deserted after having been 2 years on this Barren Isle He left a
note stating that he had gone to the Marquesas Islands but he
l)een since seen at Payta. I set out with Mr. Finch to look for
Pats garden at length having clamered over rocks and hills for

No. 25] SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 69-

about 3 hours without water we found it It is situated about
SW from his landing and is in a crater which is about 3 miles in
circumference at the top at the bottom it is about 1% miles where
there is a sandy but clear piece of soil the frame of his house is yet
to be seen also some Pyramids of stone & his fences of stone which
we viewed here we suffered a great want for water and with fatigue
at length we cut down a prickly pear tree the wood of which we
sucked and quenched our thirst considerably we returned to the
landing where they had cooked some dinner for us but I could not
eat for want of water got into the boats with about 10 terrapin and
made sail for the ship there being a fresh breeze at noon very sultry

W. W. Feltus

May 15, 1813
Having landed several times for water we arrived on board worn
out with fatigue and burnt up with the sun at 4 P M Mr. Adams of
the frigate and some others set out to survey an island bearing North,
that we passed the other day at daylight the frigates boats went on
shore as usual Ends sultry

W. W. Feltus

May 16th 1813
Commences sultry at sundown the frigates boat & men went on
board at 9 A M I went on shore at the watering place about ? by
compass from the landing there is a crater or cavern about 20 ft
in circumference at the top it ran down about the same distance
perpendicular and then took a turn I would have went down but
I had no rope and to go without one was dangerous at a short dis-
tance off there was another about 100 ft. in circumference at the
top one could see the bottom the sides were quite black and looked
as if they were smoked in the bottom there appeared to be a quan-
tity of ashes I visited a place bearing about N E by E from the ship
which was about ly^ acres of lava thrown up in friglitful lieaps. In
some places there were caverns of considerable depth and insides of
which were smoked black and a great deal of ashes on bottom the
lava is like Blacksmith's cinders Ends hot

Wm. W. Feltus

May 17th 1813

After having viewed these curiosities we departed for the ship at
9 A M I went on shore again but saw nothing worth noticing Ends
warm

W. W. Feltus

May 18th 1813

At sundown returned in the night we had some rain during the
forenoon overcast and pleasant

W. W. Feltus

May 19th 1813

Commences cloudy at 8 A M the boats went on shore for terrapin
Ends cloudy

W. W. Feltus

70 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

May 20th 1813
Commences cloudy with a little rain Barclays men employed
painting the ship at 11 A M Mr. Adams returned he said that he
saw a ship this morning under her three topsails the isle that he
surveyed he called Porters isle it is quite a large isle and is sur-
rounded by reefs the south part is covered with wood and turpin
one of the latter measured 12 ft in circumference and 4 ft in height
the soil is good on the North side the land is barren and rocky they
found no water on this isle Porters isle is not laid down on any
charts of the Galipagos that I have yet seen

W. W. Feltus
Friday May 21st 1813

Commences hot at i/4 Past 7AM the Essex made a signal prepare
to weigh unmoored and hove short at 10 got under way and stood
on a wind to the Sd & Wd Ends hot and calm

W. W. Feltus
Saturday May 22nd 1813 At Sea
Commences hot in company with the Frigate & 2 prizes standing
with a fresh breeze to the Sd Wd Land on the Lee bow standing
south on a wind at 9 A M the Frigate took the Montezuma in tow
made all sail Ends overcast Lat obsd 2° 11' South

Lat of the Bay 1°16' South
Long ditto 90° 33' West

Sunday May 23rd 1813
Commences overcast at 4 P M tacked the ship to the Nd Ed under
a press of sail Ends pleasant

Lat 1° 42' South

Tuesday May 25th, 1813

Commences pleasant at 4 P M tacked from the land wind
light at dusk cloudy I now expect that we are going to the main
the Georgianna I suppose to be gone to Banks Bay at midnight we
were so close to shore that we could hear the surf at day light
Charles Isle in sight stood for it. Ends hot Porters Charles and
some other isles in sight

W. W. Feltus
Wednesday 26th

Commences hot standing for Charles Isle at 3 P M the Frigate
boat went on shore made sail for the S Head at 5 P M Mr. Shaw
came on board and informed us that Dr. Miller Surgeon of the Essex
departed this life yesterday morning he had lain sick for some time
at Meridian South Head in sight standing to the Nd Sd

Thursday May 27th 1813
Commences warm at Sundown standing after the Frigate under
a press of sail at 8 A M the boat went board the Frigate I heard
that Benj Gears was taken ill last night about 8 o'clock & at 9 he
expired Meridian standing past Narborough for Bank Bay South &
North heads in sight Pleasant

No. 25] SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 71

Friday May 28tli 1813 7 months out of the U. S.
Commences pleasant in company with the Frigate at 4 P M Disc'd
a sail Frigate made all sail in chase at 12 P M the Frigate hove
too spoke the Barclay and told us that she had lost sight of the
chase and that we must stand for the land so as to see her at day
light if she be there the Montezuma stood off and the Frigate laid
too at 9 A M the Montezuma made a signal for a sail the Frigate
made all sail in chase at Meridian light airs Frigate sweeping after
the chase sail in sight from the Barclay

Saturday May 29th 1813

At 5 P M the frigate came up with the chase having English
colors flying the boats passed several times Frigate dist 14 miles the

3 ships soon after made all sail off shore at 6 disc'd another sail at
8 dark the Essex fired a gun at 10 the Barclay came up with the

4 ships hoisted a light at 6 A M we learnt that the Essex had cap-
tured the 2 ships which were named the Atlantic and Greenwich
both English whalers made sail to the Ed & the Montezuma to the
Nd Policy to the S' the Frigate laying too with the 2 last prizes N
Head of Albemarle in sight cloudy during the forenoon

Sunday May 30th 1813

Nothing remarkable at 7 A M the ESSEX sent some we were
taken in tow by the Greenwich the Policy by the Atlantic and Monte-
zuma by the ESSEX the two last prizes mounted 12 guns each

Monday May 31st 1813
Nothing remarkable

Tuesday June 1st 1813
Nothing remarkable calm during these 24 hours strong current
setting to the Sd

Wednesday June 2, 1813

Commences calm in the afternoon a breeze sprung up heading to
the Sd on a wind N Head and Narborough in sight Ends ditto

Lat obs 00° 09' N

Thursday June 3rd 1813
Nothing remarkable standing to the Sd on a wind in company
with the other ships

Lat obsd 00° 20' South

Friday June 4th 1813

Commences pleasant breezes at 9 A M kept away to go round the
N Head finding it impossible to beat around the S Head we have now
a strong current setting to the Nd

Lat Obsd 8 miles South

Saturday June 5th 1813

Commences and ends pleasant N Head in sight

Lat. 23' North

72 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

Sunday June 6th 1813

Commences pleasant Land in sight current setting to the N^ at
1 calm caught a large loggerhead turtle precisely at 20 minutes
after 3PM Narborough being in sight a volcano broke out on the
South part of that island the smoke (which was white as the driven
snow) ascended to the clouds this smoke resembles snow through a
spy glass at 7 P M the light showed very plain but we could not see
the flame because we were on the opposite side of the isle to it the had
been a volcano in this isle 7 years ago the light shown plain all night
and the air was infected with a sulphurous smell standing to the Nd E
at 9 A M N E part of Albemarle and Abington isle in sight Ends
fresh breezes smoke of the volcano in sight

Monday June 7th 1813
Commences fresh breezes and clear standing to the N^ Ed at sun-
down lost sight of the volcano and the land Ends fresh and clear in
company with the frigate and her convoy

Lat obs'd 1° 27' N

Tuesday June 8th 1813

Commences fresh and clear Ends ditto standing to the E by N
Ends ditto

Lat obsd 1° 42' N

Wednesday June 9th 1813
Commences fresh breezes Ends ditto standing for the main

Lat obsd 1° 32' N

Thursday June 10th 1813

Commences fresh winds standing for the main at 7 A M the
weather changed I suppose we are now in the Longitude of 85°
from Greenwich

Lat obs 1° 26' N

Friday June 11th 1813

Commences pleasant Breezes and cloudy standing to the E S E
Ends ditto

Lat 00° 53' N

Saturday June 12th at sea 1813
Commences pleasant Breezes and cloudy in company with the
Frigate and Her prizes Ends ditto no obs.

Sunday June 13th 1813

Commences fresh breezes and overcast in company with the frig-
ate and prizes at 9 A M disc'd the land ahead and on the weather
bow Ends cloudy got no obs but we are in South Latitude
NB the point in sight is not St. Helena I mistook the landi

^ Probably meant for Santa Elena.

No. 25] SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 73

Monday June 14, 1S13

Main in sight at 2 P M tacked and stood to W<J in company with
the other ships and Frigate at sun down tacked to the E<i at 8 A M
the Frigate made a signal to prepare to anchor ran into leeward the
point and found nothing like any town stood out again Ends warm
& clear good obs. 00° 47' South

Tuesday June 15, 1813

Commences pleasant this cape which I took for Cape St Helena
is by our latitude Cape St. Lorenzo which is in 1° 4' South Lat. beat-
ing to wind disc'd the isle of Plata at sun down tacked off at 4 stood
again at daylight no land in sight. Ends cloudy no obs.

Wednesday June 16, 1813
Standing after the Frigate at 10 P M hove too near the isle of
Plata Frigates boats went on shore at day light disc'd a sail she
proved to be a Spanish Brig Ends warm beating to windward

Thursday June 17 1813
Nothing remarkable these 24 hours.

BRITISH FRIGATES BRITON AND TAGU8

Following the Essex by a year, two of His Majesty's frigates, the
Tagus, Sir Thomas Staines commanding, and the Briton under com-
mand of Captain P. Pipon, visited the Galapagos. The items from
the captains' logs are most interesting; in addition to mentioning the
goats put ashore by Captain David Porter of the Essex, they com-
ment on the number of tortoises taken and tlie allowance rationed to
the crews, and, as always, the search for water:

H.M.S. TAGUS

July 20. 1814 AM

Standing in for the anchorage at James Island at 11 shortened sail
and came to the B Bi in 6 fathoms, sandy bottom, down Royal and
T g yards Albany Island NN W 1/2 W the south extreme pt of the Bay
S S W % W the center of a mount which I shall call Turpin Mount
from the great number of turpins near the foot of it. There is also a
spring of fresh water S 14 W a fine Sandy beach from E by S W to
N E % N By comp. water on board 87% tons.

PM
Sent the boats ashore in search of fresh water and turpin Saw
four goats on the island which had been left by the ESSEX late
American frigate, found a small spring of fresh water near the foot
of a mount S % W of the ship and near it many turpin 37 of which
were brought on board in the boats at 8 moderate & fine clear w at
12 do with Briton in company.

^ Best bower.

74 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papkrs

July 25, 1S14

Boats and parties on shore caught a few turtle, found a little fresh
water but not a sufficient quantity for present use

July 27 PM

Off Chatham Island
At 4 a boat returned which had been sent ashore in the forenoon
laden with turtle.

July 31, 1814 AM

At Daylight sent 2 officers with 2 boats on shore in co with the
Britons officers 2 boats

At 3 the boats returned with 37 tortoises sent 20 of them to the
Briton.

(Albemarle Cove)

H.M.S. BRITON

July 25th, 1814 AM

Vessel 3 or 4 mi off Charles out boats and sent them on shore to
catch turtles and a party to haul seine Tagus in co.

Cutter returned with 24 large turtle having been sent at 8 A M
to examine the coast from the west point towards the anchorage
weight of turtle from 394 to

H.M.S. Briton July 26/14 AM

Killed 6 turtle and issued to ships co 303 lbs of meat

Stephens Bay

July 27/14 AM

Killed 4 turtle & issued 317 lbs of meat
Boats on shore to catch turtle

PM
Haul seine etc.
Caught 13 turtle
Killed 7 turtle and issued to ships co 350 lbs of meat

July 28, 1814 AM

At anchor Stephens Bay

Sent boats ashore for turtle

Rec'd 28 turtle — several weighing upwards of 3 cwt.

Killed 7 turtle and issued 321 lbs of meat to ships co.

July 29, 1814 AM

Under Way

Center of Barrington S by W Vj W — Chatham SE X E

Duncan's I. SW X W % W

Killed 6 turtle and issued 295 lbs to ship's co.

No. 25]

SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

July 30, 1814
James Isle

Killed 5 turtle and issued 200 lbs of meat to ships co.

Af 2 boats returned received 40 tortoises

Killed 9 turpin and issued 267 lbs of meat to ship's co.

Aug 4, 1814

Banks' Cove
Rec'd 14 turtle

HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S SHIP BEAGLE, THE

MOST FAMOUS SHIP CONNECTED WITH THE

HISTORY OF THE GALAPAGOS

Since the founding' of the British Navy, its ships and their his-
tories have been an inspiration to those who were to follow in the
footsteps of their great admirals, the mere mention of such a ship
as the Victory filling the heart of every Englishman with pride. How-
ever, Darwin's ship, the Beagle, was too insignificant to command
any attention, and it was not until after the return of Charles Dar-
win, the naturalist on board, and the publication of the results of
his voyage, Jounial of Researches into the Geology and Natural His-
tory of the Various Countries Visited by H.M.S. Beagle, that it be-
came one of the famous ships of His Majesty's Navy.

Fig. 15. His Majesty's Ship Beagle hove to in the Strait of Magellan,

76 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

It is truly amazing that the modern cliart of the Galapagos made
in 1942 by the U.S.S. Bowditch, a vessel 380 feet in length and 6,000
tons displacement, equipped with every modern device for marine
surveying, should so closely approximate the survey made by Cap-
tain Fitz-Koy over a hundred years ago. His little vessel was at the
mercy of strong and uncertain currents together with deadly calms
so prevalent in those regions. Certainly no greater tribute could be
jjaid to the Beagle's commander.

In this day and age when radar, wireless, sonic depth finders, and
various other aids to navigation are commonplace aboard ships, those
who have read Darwin's journals might be interested, and many are,
to know what sort of vessel it was in which Darwin made his famous
voyage and accomplished so much on that famous five-year cruise.
The Beagle left England on June 27, 1831, and was paid off at Wool-
wich November 17, 1836.

Designed by Sir Henry Peake, Surveyor of the Navy, she was
launched at the Woolwich Yards, London, England, May 11, 1820.
The Beagle was classed as a sloop, rigged as a brig, and had a dis-
placement of 235 tons. The length of the gun deck was 90 feet; the
length of keel for tonnage was 73 feet, 7% inches; the extreme breadth
was 24 feet, 6 inches; the depth in the hold was 11 feet; light draught
of water, forward it was 7 feet, 7 inches, and abaft it was 9 feet, 5
inches; the armament on the gun deck was 26-pounder guns and 8
18-pounder carronades. She carried a complement of 75 men.

In 1808, some thirty small brigs were built for the Iloyal Navy,
and a few more in 1813. The same design was used from 1818 onward,
the last being the Termagant of 1837, so the Beagle came under this
master plan of 1818.

Like vessels of her day, she was stoutly built, her deck beams be-
ing approximately a foot in width and had what is known as a well-
deck with t'gallant fo'c'sle and i)oop deck, the compartment below
being fitted as a chart room. Although vessels of this size were some-
times steered with a tiller, the Beagle was fitted with a wheel. Cap-
tain Fitz-Roy made several suggestions regarding alterations while
I he \essel was being overhauled, and for the comfort of the crew the
spar deck was raised twelve inches forward and eight inches aft.
She had none of the modern inventions, such as turnbuckles for set-
ting taut the standing rigging, this being done with lanyards and dead
eyes willi block and tackle as power. For bracing the yards, there were
no pendants with luff tackles or double purchases, the braces being

No. 25J

SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

\vliii)s and ])()\vor ^aiiiocl by more men tagminii- on tlie hauling- i)art,
and to board the main tack in a stiff breeze, even on a vessel tlie size oi'
the Beagle, meant plenty of man power.

1 Mtlmuth Compact

I. Afr. Darwin's Stat in Ca/tain's Ca^i'n 3. J/r. Panvin't Seat in Poop Cabin tvtth Cci slung bthimt hint

3. Mr, Danvin's Ckest 0/ Drawert 4. Bookcase 5- Captain i Skylight

H.M.S. BEAGLE
eau

taissBSssr''

7. Hmmmtck Nttlimgt

>. Peep LmJdtrs j. A/ter Comfanion 5. Bratt Htiu ficvmttrt, Ca^lAtn't ^rijalt frafitrtj

9. Sit»ml Flmt Leektra 4. Oantuuxjft 6- Six /emadert

Fig. 16. Detailed plans of H.M.S. Beagle.

The main deck was given over to living quarters, the captain s
room aft taking up the entire width of the stern. Forward of this
were the officers' rooms along the sides and the midshipmen's quar-
ters, and forward of these were the warrant officers' rooms and
store rooms. A small locker, or bin, as it was called, took up the mid-
ship section, with the galley just abaft the foremast. The seamen
s\\T.ing their hammocks from the main hatch forward.

The lower hold was given over to supplies, ammunition, coal, vari-
ous stores, and that all important item, water. Even with the crew
reduced to fifty-eight, when one stops to consider the vessel was only
ninety feet in length, it can readily be seen that accommodations were
anything but de luxe.

The sail plan is not available and the drawing of the vessel made
while in the Strait of Magellan does not show her with the royal
.yards in place, though it does show that she carried single topsails.
Ten-gun brigs of the Royal Navy did carry royals, but in stress of
weather or for various reasons, the t'gallant and royal yards were
sent down and stowed in the shrouds. This was probably the case with
the roval vards when the sketch was made.

78 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

The records show she remained at Woolwich until 1825 when she
was allocated to surveying service by admiralty order of September
17, 1825. Her armament was reduced from 8 to 4 carronades and her
complement from 75 to 58, while so employed.

On September 27, 1825, the vessel was docked at Woolwich to be
fitted for surveying IVIagellan Strait, copper taken off, sheathed with
wood and re-coppered. Her rig was changed to that of a bark in
order to facilitate her maneuvering, and on September 7, 1825, Com-
mander Pringle Stokes became her first commanding officer. On his
death he was succeeded by Commander William George Skyring as
acting commander until Commander Robert Fitz-Roy took over until
the end of her first commission, October, 1830, when she was paid
off at AVoolwich.

During the second commission of the Beagle, June 27, 1831, to
November 17, 1836, he took command once more and although he was
promoted to captain during the cruise, and was eligible to command
a ship of the first rate, he still continued his duties as surveyor in
command of the Beagle.

On fitting out the vessel for its cruise into the Pacific, Commander
Fitz-Roy made many requests in order to make the vessel as comfort-
able as possible for the crew and to facilitate his work. That the ad-
miralty had great confidence in him is shown by the fact that his
many requests were granted even to the minutest details. The fol-
lowing correspondence with the Naval Board in regard to the out-
fitting of his command shows with what care he prepared for the
voyage which ended so successfully :

[P. Rt. Adm. 106/1346 F. Off Capt Fitz-Roy (Lihon's Rudder) ]t

H.M.S. Sui'veying Vessel Beagle

Hamoaze. July 4, 1831.
Gentlemen:

Th(> peculiai' nature of the Service for which the Beagle is des-
tined, — that of exploring coasts, little known, — in doing which she
is, of course, very liable to accident of all kinds; — makes me feel
more confident in asking you to order Lihon's Rudder to be fitted to
her; — than would be the case under ordinary circumstances.

I am aware she is too small a vessel to be thought worthy of the
extra expense and trouble.

Should you think pioper to favor the Beagle, upon this ground

"[Many of these letters bear file designations and comments as well as endorsements by offi-
cials, with or without their initials. All of these are enclosed in brackets so that they will be
distinct from the original text. In a few cases the parenthetical material may be that of the
author. — Editor.]

No. 25] SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 79

and thus add to the advantages she already possesses — I shall be
deeply gratified.

[(Endorsed) The Commander at Plymouth will cause the rudder
to be fitted.]

[F. Off. C4]

H.M.S. Surveying Vessel Beagle
Hamoaze, July 14, 1831

The Beagle being ordered to be fitted out for continuing

the survey of South America Capt. Fitz-Roy requests some small
changes in the interior fittings suggested by my former voyage in

the same vessel The manner in which the Chanticleer

was fitted, having answered so extremely well leads me to hope that
you will allow the Beagle to be fitted in some respects, similarly.
[(Referred to Surveyor)]

[P.R.O. Adm. 106/1346 F. Off. 70 Capt. Fitz-Roy (Lightning Con-
ductor)]

H.M.S. Surveying Vessel Beagle
Hamoaze, July 9, 1831

I have the honor of requesting that you will consider of the pro-
priety of allowing the Beagle's Masts to be fitted with Harris's
Lightning conductors.

In my humble opinion they are likely to be very serviceable & I
earnestly hope that my request for them may meet with approval.
[(Endorsed) Acquaint the Admiralty with this application & that
the Board think it may be adviseable to comply with. W.]

[F. Off. 69]

H.M.'s Surveying Vessel Beagle
Hamoaze, July 9th, 1831

[(requesting that the Beagle's upper decks may be "raised eight
inches")]

In examining this Vessel, the Ofl^cers of the Dock Yard have
found that nearly the whole of the Upper Decks, — a great part of
the Spirketting, — ■ and the greater part of the Water Ways require
to be replaced, being very defective.

While repairing these defects I am assured by The Officers of
the Shipwright's department in this Dock Yard that the beams,
and the whole of the Deck may be raised and refastened at an
expense which will not exceed one hundred pounds — and without
more than one week's additional time being required for the repair
of this Vessel.

[P.R.O. Adm. 106/1346 F. Off. 72 Capt. Fitz-Roy (Boats)]

H.M.'s Surveying Vessel Beagle

Hamoaze, July 9, 1831

I have to request that you will allow four Boats be built at this

Dock Yard for the use of Beagle, of the undermentioned

so CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

descriptions, being the best calculated for convenient storage on the
Vessel, and for the Surveying Service —

No. 1 Yawl — 26 feet in length

No. 2 Cutter — 23 '

No. 3 Whale Boat — 25 " "

No. 4 Whale Boat — 25 " "

I have also to request that the Yawl and Cutter may be built
on Mr. John's principle of diagonal planking; and that the Yawl
may be fitted with the windlass invented by Captain the Hon&/e
George Elliot.

(Endorsed) "It has been usual to all Surveying Vessels such boats
as are best calculated for the Service in which they may be em-
ployed —

The Beagle as a 10-gun brig is allowed

Yawl of 26 or Cutter 25 feet

Jolly boat of 16 or 14 feet

Gig — 22 feet by the establishment but the Committee

of Naval Officers recommended Mr. John's principle of building
Boats, to be confined to Launches.

[(Endorsed beneath by another hand) Give orders as requested by
the Captain.]

[(Next ref. F. Off. 70)]

[P.R.O. Adm. 106/1346 F. Ofl^cers 69 (cont) Capt. Fitz-Roy (En-
closure in F. Off 69)] Report — ]

Plymouth Dock Yard
14 July, 1831

In obedience to Minute of 13 instant, on the enclosed letter from
Commander Fitz-Roy of the Beagle, we beg leave to acquaint you
that as the greater part of the flat of the Upper deck, water-ways and
Skirketting are more or less defective, and will require to be re-
placed with new materials, we are of the opinion that the alteration
of raising the deck eight inches may be performed at an expense of
£ 120, and as the space between Decks is only five feet, the stor-
age as well as the comfort of the crew will be increased by making
the alteration.

[F. Off. 66]

H.M's Surveying Vessel Beagle
Hamoaze, July 4, 1831

request to have the Beagle to be fitted with a Patent Windlass in
addition to her Capstan, similarly to H. M. S. Chanticleer.

I have also to beg that if you approve of the stove which was
fitted on board the Chanticleer, and since transferred to the Phito
you will permit a similar stove to be fitted on board the Beagle
— — - — it saves much room & much fuel.

[(Endorsed) Ask Mr. Fraser at that rate he won't supply a stove
for the Beagle.'\
ISurveyors as to Windlass — Desire the Woolwich Officers to for-

No. 25] SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 81

ward to Plymouth • ■ — the patent windlass now on hand the

Chanticleer to be fitted.]

[P.R.O. Adm. 106/1346 F. Off. 69 cont. Capt. Fitz-Roy (Raising Deck)]
[F. Off. 69 cont.]

Commissioner Ross and the Master Shipwright authorize me to
say that they approve of my proposal, — and consider that as so
much of the deck requires replacing very little additional labour
would be necessary to raise it entirely. If, however, the additional
expense should be deemed more than proper: — I respectfully beg
that permission may be granted for raising the deck:— and that I
may be allowed to defray the expence myself.

The Beagle is ordered to carry only two six-pound guns — there-
fore raising the deck will not be of consequence as respects the
guns and their ports. By making this alteration the storage & com-
fort of the Vessel will be greatly increased — She will be much dryer
upon deck: — Her waist will be less deep, — - and as she carries only
two guns — the stability of the vessel will not be affected, as might
be the case if the guns were raised with the Deck.

[ ( Endorsed ) Surveyor]

[(Navy Office 11 July 1831) The Board refers this letter to the Com-
mand, at Plymouth he will cause a Report to be made without

loss of time. G. Smith]

[Plymouth Yard 13 July 1831 For the immediate report of the
Officers]

[14 July The Board are referred to the annexed report of the Offi-
cers. George Smith. Secretary — Plymouth.]

[(Endorsed) July 18 will comply with this request -in con-
sequence of the service upon which she will be engaged.]

[P.R.O. Adm. 106/1346 F. Off. 85 Capt. Fitz-Roy (Awnings & Tents)
[F. Off. 85]

H.M's Surveying Sloop Beagle
Plymouth Dock Yard, July 28th, 1831
request for the undermentioned articles in addition to the regular
establishment for vessels of her class.

A strong canvas awning for the main & quarter Decks, to be used
only in sunny weather.

Two small "Bell Tents"

Two small Boat Tents made according to the enclosed plan.

A strong awning for one Boat (Yawl of 26 feet) made according
to the enclosed plan.

During the late survey we made these things on board, finding
them so much wanted.

My reason for asking for strong Main and Quarter Deck Awnings
in addition to those usually supplied is that an awning used to keep
off the sun soon becomes too thin to keep out rain, and as much of
the Beagle's must be passed at anchor in very rainy as well as in
hot latitudes — the health & comfort of all on board would be im-

82 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

proved, and work carrying on in board materially forwarded by hav-
ing a drj' & sheltered Deck.

[(Endorsed) Approve of these things being supplied as this ship is
going in a peculiar service.]

[P.R.O. Adm. 106/1346 F. Off. 99 Capt. Fitz Roy (Cables Anchors)]
[F. Off. 99]

H.M's Surveying Sloop Beagle

Hamoaze 18th August, 1831
Gentlemen:

Having attentively examined some anchors, made upon Lieuten-
ant Rodger's principles, & having heard the opinion of many persons
qualified to judge of their merit: — I beg to request that you
will allow the Beagle to be furnished with two Bower Anchors of
13 cwt. each: — (stock not included) made according to Lieutenant
Rodger's method; in lieu of I. Bower Anchors of the usual construc-
tion.

[F. Off. 98. (Another letter regarding Anchors & Cables which are
necessary for so long a voyage.)]

South America — and in the Pacific; including a return to England
by the way of New Holland, and the Cape of Good Hope, — which
service will probably occupy nearly 4 years — the Enclosed list which
are greatly similar in number and size to those which the Beagle was
furnished on her former surveying voyage & can be stowed with ease.

Being obliged to anchor in — & work into, — or out of rocky un-
known places, spare anchors & cables are absolutely necessary —
while their purchase in foreign ports is both difficult and expensive.

I have asked for chain cables of one hundred fathoms in length,
because the water round about Tierra del Fuego and the West Coast
of South America is generally deep • — • and I never found it prudent
to bring the vessel up — or lye at anchor with less than 60 or 70
fathoms — where the water was deep and the bottom rocky — when
it blew hard of course a much longer scope with required — to avoid
break the anchor or parting the cable.

Having parted from sixty fathoms of chain cable (which was
afterwards crept up and recovered) during a severe frost — in the
Straits of Le Maire, — and having seen .several chain cables snapped
at different times by bringing ships up with too short a scope — I
am induced to beg you to grant this request.

We had on l)oard the same quantity on our last voyage — - (Ap-
pended) List of Anchors and Cables requested for the use of H. M's
Surveying Sloop Beagle.

Anchors

14 Cwt. (two being Rodger's if allowed) Five in No.

7 Cwt Two " "

3 Cwt Four " "

No. 25] SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 83

Cables

Chain (established size) 400 fathoms

Hempen do 250

Splicing Tails for do 4 sets

Hempen Stream do 200 fathoms

Also, in addition to the Hawsers allowed the Vessels of the Beagle's

Class —

Cables 6 inch 100 fathoms

4 " 100 fathoms

3 " 100 fathoms

[(Endorsed) Give orders according to the Commanders request &
acquaint him]

[P.R.O. Adm. 106/1346 F. Off. 97 Capt. Ritz-Roy (Hammock Cloth
Tarpaulin)]

H. M's Surveying Sloop Beagle
Hamoaze, 18th August, 1831
[Asking for a fresh supply of Hammock Cloths]

I am desirous of carrying out a spare set in addition to what is
usually allowed. It would add very much to the cleanliness of the
Lower Deck and Hold, as well as to the dry and healthy state of the
vessel — if two Tarpaulins were allowed; for laying on the Lower
Deck during rainy weather to prevent wet and dirt from being ab-
sorbed by the planks and working between the Hatches, injuring
the cables & hawsers, and accumulating dirt in the Hold.

These Deck Cloths would be used only during wet weather, and
would be carried on deck to be cleaned 3 times a day

The Clianticleer and the Beagle always used Tarpaulins for this
purpose during their last voyages when they could be procured.
[(Endorsed) Let the Sloop have an add'l set of Hammock Cloths;
but acquaint the Captain he cannot be allowed painted canvas for
the Lower Decks.]

[P.R.O. Ad. 106/1346 F. Off. 103 Capt. Fitz-Roy (Sails & Spares)]

H. M's Surveying Sloop Beagle
Hamoaze, 18 August, 1831
Gentlemen:

I have the honor of requesting that you will allow H. M.'s Survey-
ing Sloop, under my command to be furnished with spars & Sails
according to the accompanying list in addition to the present estab-
lishment for Vessels of her class. It is probable that the Beagle will
be absent from England four years — and will be employed in all cli-
mates, without the means of obtaining supplies of stores; she can
stow them with ease, an equal number were on board during her
last voyage.

I have also to reqviest that two small cooking stoves may be
allowed for the use of Boats: — - with Tarpaulins as allowed to ships

84 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

employed on the Coast of Africa, & to the Beagle during her last
voyage —

[(Endorsed) When this vessel fitted out for the Surveying Service
in 1825, she was allowed to take such stores as might be generally
useful & such proportions as could be conveniently stowed, p. Adm.
Order 17 Feb. 1825)]

[List — Editor]
Spare — Additional
Top mast one in No. (either fore or Main)

Topsail Yard one in No.

Top Gallant Yard " " "

Top Mast studding Sail

Booms Two in no.

Lower studding Sail Boom One in no.

[P.R.O. Ad. 106/1346 F.Off.104 Capt. R. Fitz-Roy]

H. M's Surveying Sloop Beagle

Hamoaze, 24 Aug. 1831

I beg to inform you that the patent Galley Stove — made by Mr.

Eraser of Shadwell for the use of the Beagle, — is furnished with an

additional Bread oven — which I find increases the expense £ 17.

As this oven will be of the greatest use in baking bread for the
Ship's Company, I hope it will be allowed by the Navy Board without
my paying for it myself —

[(Endorsed) Under the peculiar circumstances of the employment of
this Vessel, the Board will pay this additional expense.]

[P.R.O. Adm. — Navy Board Ad. 106/1346 F. Off. 121]

H. M's Surveying Sloop Beagle
Hamoaze Sept. 20, 1831
I beg to be allowed the honor of mentioning to you that the ingenu-
ous Compass, — lately invented by Lieut. Col. Graydon of the Royal
Engineers, has not yet been tried in a small vessel, — & that if you
approve of the instrument: — I should be very desirous of trying it's
Merits.

My own humble opinion is that, if »"e/7 made, it cannot fail

to be of great Service in Foggy or hazy weather, or when, from any
cause, the Horizon is obscured, though the sun is visible.

[F. Off. 119]

H. M's Surveying Sloop Beagle

Hamoaze, Sept. 17, 1831

request for "His Majesty's Surv. Sloop B., under my command to be

supplied with the under-mentioned "Metal Blocks", on Mr. Both-

ways construction in lieu of wooden Blocks.

Cat Blocks — double — two

treble— one
Signal Halyard Blocks — Single — eight
One of the Cat Blocks is more than is allowed by the establish-
ment;— I)ut it will be so useful as a Purchase Block; that I beg it
may be allowed instead of a similar Block of Wood; — which would be
much larger & liable to split & decay.

No. 25]

SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

[P.R.O. — N B 1831 /1346 (R.Fltz-Roy— N.B.)]

His Majesty's Surveying Sloop
Beagle
Hamoaze Sept. 25, 1831
Gentlemen :

With respect to the
Ropemaker's warrant applied for in my letter of the 21st inst., — I
beg to mention that the Beagle has an Establishment differing from
that of Sloops; but Suited to the particular Service on which she will
be employed, and as the Lord Commissioners of the Admiralty have
authorized her to hire a Ropemaker, — I have to request you will
grant a Warrant to the man named below
(John Borsworthick from H. M. S. DuUin) —
[ (Warrant Granted — ) ]

F. Off.

122

H. M. 's Surveying Ship Beagle

Hamoaze —

Sept. 1831

Petty Officers underm

lentioned — Warrants requii

•ed.

Date of

Last

Passing

Where

Na m es

Quality

Entry

8hi2)

Cert.

Passed

Wm. Wills

Armourer

7 July/31

Adventure

Not

Gun Wharf,

9 Nov 1830

known

Plymouth

Jno. Bos-

worthick

Ropemaker

10/July 31

Dublin
Late

twenties

Lost in
Thetis

« (<

Jas. Lester

Cooper

16 Sept.

Maidstone

21 June

Victy Yard

1831

1817

Portsmouth

[P.R.O. Adm. — Navy Board /1346 (Robt Fitz-Roy to N.B.)]

His Majesty's Surveying Sloop
Beagle
Hamoaze, Oct. 15, 1831
Gentlemen :

With reference to your letter of the 13th respecting the Compass
invented by Lieut. Col. Graydon: — I beg to mention that it is proba-
ble the Beagle will not sail from England before the 10th of Novem-
ber:— therefore I have hopes of being enabled to make trial of his
Compass.

[F. Off. 129]

His Majesty's Surveying Sloop
Beagle
Hamoaze, 8th Oct. 1831

I have the honor of requesting that you will allow the Patent Cap-
stan of H. M.'s Surveying Sloop under my command to be returned
into Store.

86 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

The excellent Patent windlass with which you ordered the Beagle
to be supplied renders the Capstan unnecessary; and I find from
repeated careful trials that it causes the Compass card in the Bin-
nacles to deviate 10 degrees from their proper position; — owing
to its iron spindle & mass of iron work.

H. M.'s Surveying Vessels Adventure and Chanticleer had Pat-
ent Windlasses and never used a Capstan.

The Windlass which is now on board the Beagle was in the
Chanticleer during her last voyage (S. America, Cape Horn) and
answered every purpose exceedingly well.

[The following notations are also a matter of the Naval Board's

record. — Editor.]

Anchors Est. of for Ships

Commr. of the Beagle applies for 5 anchors of 14 cwt. 2 of 7 cwt.

& 4 of 3 cwt. Aug. 18, 1831

Architecture, Naval — • Improvements

Commander Fitz-Roy requests that Lihon's Rudder may be fitted to

the Beagle Surveying Vessel.

Orders to Plymouth to do so July 4, 1831

(Arrangements for fitting etc. Wm. Sharp Shipwright sent to

Plymouth)

To be provided for the Beagle also Pintles

& Braces (Prices) Aug. 1831

Boats — Establishment of — for Ships

Commr. of the Beagle requests that a yawl, a cutter and 2 whale boats

may be built for that vessel —

Orders to Plymouth July 9, 1831

Boats — Awnings, Curtains & c

Commander of the Beagle requests she may be supplied with 2 small

boat Tents, & with a strong awning for a yawl of 26 feet, according

to plans sent

Orders to Plymouth July 28

Boats — Improvements d Alterations

Commr. of the Beagle requests make yawl of 26 ft. & a cutter & 2

whale boats may be built for that Vessel —

Orders to Plymouth July 9

Cables — Cordage Made of Iron

Commr. of the Beagle applies for 400 (tons?) of chain cable

Orders to Plymouth Aug. 18, 1831

Capstans d- Windlasses

Commander of the Beagle requests that she may be fitted with a pat-
ent Windlass, in addition to her capstan, similarly to the Chanticleer.
Woolwich Officers to send to Plymouth the Patent Windlass now on
the Chanticleer —
Plymouth to fit it in the Beagle July 4, 1831

No. 25] SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 87

Compasses, Binnacles, &c

Commdr at Plymouth to issue to the Beagle 1 large and 1 small Pris-
matic, Surveying & Azimuth Compass invented by Mr. Schmalcalder.
Command'' to report his opinion

Aug. 24

Commdr of the Beagle applies for one to be sent him

Sept. 20

Lt. Col. Graydon has ordered the Compass required for the Beagle

to be put in head, l)ut it is doubtful if it can be completed in time —

Acquaint Command'' of the Beagle

Commander states that he does not expect to leave England before

10th of Nov. & hopes it can be made in time

Acquaint Col. Graydon Oct. 15

Fireheaters, 'boilers, cooking machines, stoves, &c
Commr. of the Beagle requests to be supplied with a stove similar to
that ■which was in the Chanticleer — now in the Pluto. Mr. Fraser
to state price

July 4, 1831

Mr. Fraser will supply the Beagle with a firehearth similar to the
Chanticleer's for £ 46.10s. Desires to send it to Deptford
Plymouth to issue it • — • Commandr acquainted

Mr. Fraser to report when it will be delivered; it should be delivered
by the 7th as there will be an opportunity of forwarding it on that
day July 19

Capt. requests two may be supplied. Portsmouth supplied.

Aug. 19

Commandr of the Beagle reports that the Galley Stove made by Mr.
Fraser is furnished by his desire with an additional Bread Oven
which adds £ 17 to the expense which he hopes may be allowed —
Accepted — That under the peculiar circumstances of the employ-
ment of the Beagle the Board will pay the additional expense

Aug. 24

(Mr. Fraser had assigned his interests in firehearths to Beeston &
Co., but had himself furnished the one for the Beagle — the Navy
Board "have nothing to do" with a private arrangement Dec. 9

From 1660-1685 men-of-war other than first rates, used the
crowned lion as a figurehead, and it was not until 1689-1702 that
the privilege of individual figureheads was extended to second rates.
In 1727 the Admiralty authorized the use of appropriate figureheads
in smaller ships, so taking advantage of this privilege the head of a
beagle was fitted to Darwin's ship, the vessel that was to be his future
home for so many months. "When Danvin saw the Beagle, he remarked :

88 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papkrs

She looks most beautiful, even a landsman must admire her. We all
think her the most perfect vessel ever turned out of a dockyard. One
thing is certain, no vessel has been fitted out so extensively, and
with more care. Everything that can be made so is of mahogany,
and nothing can exceed the neatness and beauty of all the accom-
modations.

Fitz-Koy's official inventory informs us that there were lightning-
conductors on all masts, the bowsprit, and the flying jib-boom. Upon
each quarter hung a whale boat twenty-five feet long. In addition,
a stout dinghy was carried astern. Seven bra.ss guns were mounted
on deck; one on tlie fore-castle, two before the chestree, and four
abaft the mainmast; five of these were six pounders, and two were
nine pounders.

When the Beagle completed her second commission, under Cap-
tain Fitz-Koy, she was paid off at Woolwich on November 17, 1836.
Remaining idle but a short time, she was commissioned for her third
cruise on February 16, 1837 for a survey of the coast of Australia
and Bass's Strait under the command of John Clements Wickham,
who was invalided home and succeeded by John Lort Stokes. On
completion of this cruise, she was again paid off at Woolwich on
October 14, 1843. She was then transferred to the Commissioner of
Customs, by Admiralty Order of April 1845, for service as a Watch
Vessel at Southend and was employed subsequently at Paglesham.
She received distinguishing number "7." On May 13, 1870, the Beagle
was sold at public auction to the ship})reakers Murray and Trainer
for the sum of 525 pounds. Thus ended the career of one of the Royal
Navy's famous ships.

The Beagle's commander, Robert Fitz-Roy, had a brilliant career
in the Royal Navy. Born at Ampton Hall, Suffolk, he entered the
Royal Naval College at Portsmouth in February, 1818. On October
19, 1819, he was appointed to the Owen Glendower cruising on the
South American coast, and in 1821 he joined the Hind and served two
years in the ^lediterranean. In 1825 he served on the Thetis, and in
1828 he was made commander of the Beagle. Though on December 3,
1834, he was promoted to the rank of captain and was eligi])le for com-
mand of a larger vessel, he remained in command of the Beagle on
surveying duty.

He was promoted to Rear Admiral in 1857 and Vice Admiral in
1863. In later years, he became Governor of New Zealand and Chief
of the Meteorological Department of the Board of Trade.

Finally overwork caused his collapse and prompted him to end
his life at his residence at Norwood, Surrcv. in .lune, 1865.

No. 25] SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 89

VOYAGE OP' LE GENIE

The remarks on tlie climate and the comments on the work of Cap-
tain Kol)ert Fitz-Hoy, K.X., together Avitii the reports which it con-
tains concerning the sounding of the crater lake at Tagiis Cove and
the experience of watering his ship at Freshwater Bay, make most
interesting the following rather literal translation of the account of the
visit of Henri Louns, Compte de Gueydon, who, while in command of
the French brig-of-war Le Genie, made a visit to the Galapagos Islands
which lasted from August 7 to September 17, 1846.

Exploration Made in August and September, 1946, by

Capt. de Gueydon Commander of the Brig

Le Genie
Admiral :

On August 6th last, you gave me the order to set sail the next day
and steer course directly toward the Galapagos Island Archipelago
for the purpose of exploring those islands and then to be able to give
you all information requested by the Minister in his message of
September 17, 1845, of which you sent me a copy together with a letter
from the Consul for France at Guayaquil to the Minister of Foreign
Affairs, a translation of a note published in the Gazette of Ecuador and
the summary of information furnished by Admiral Dupetit-Thouars
following the circumnavigation trip of the frigate La Venus.

Convinced by the reading of all those documents of the importance
of the work you have intrusted me with, I set myself to study the
place, to gather all the trustworthy information of which I am capable.

I have seen many things myself. I have taken great pains, but I
do not regret it if the result of my investigation and my observations
which I shall have the honor of presenting to you. may help you to
clearly inform the Government of the King on the question he has
asked you.

Before going any further and before starting my narrative, I think
it is useful to mention the different names under which several of the
Galapagos Islands are known, because this multiplicity of names
may bring errors or at least throw some incertitude on the informa-
tion and descriptions given by different travelers who have visited the
islands and who finding them uninhabited they all thought they had
the right to baptize them. . . .

Called the Enchanted Islands by those who discovered them, the
Galapagos Islands have since then received their present name which
is more appropriate because it owes its derivation to the immense
population of turtles found there.

The island of Santa Maria de la Aguada is indicated on Capt.
Fitz-Roy's map under the name of Charles and since then has re-
ceived from Mr. Villamil that of Mercedes, the name of General
Flores' wife.

90 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

The next island has five names: James, Norfolk, Porter (name
of the American Commodore who visited it), Indefatigable (on the
English maps), and at last baptized by Mr. Villamil, Bolivia, in honor
of General Bolivar under whom he served.

James Island on the English map. formerly called Santiago, which
was simply the translation of the English name, has received from
Mr. "Villamil the name of Olmedo.

All the other islands, less visited, have kept up to now the names
as given on the English map. I shall preferably use the names given
by Mr. Villamil, for it seems natural and fair to me that one should
let everyone baptize his or her own land.

Navigation — ■ Hydrography

On August 7 last after losing sight of your flag, I followed La-
BriUante for 24 hours during which Le Genie constantly had a de-
cided advantage of speed; then, realizing that the route of La Bril-
lante was taking me too far away from my own route, I signaled
free course and I proceeded directly toward the Galapagos in sight
of which, pushed forward by a gentle breeze varying from S. to S.E.,
I arrived on the 14th at dawn.

During this short voyage the sky was always cloudy or at least
stormy; but nevertheless the weather looked to me so steady that I
did not order the top gallant and royals down from the masts.

Notwithstanding that on the 14th, being near land and having
seen Hood Island since dawn, I could not start before nine o'clock
in the morning, at which time the very thick fog that covered the
island disappeared, thus enabling us to distinguish the coast. Then
I made for Mercedes Island in order to start my exploration by veri-
fying as especially requested by the Minister, the assertion published
in the Ecuadorian Gazette that there was a closed bay in that island
which was accessible to vessels of any size.

After cruising very near the coast from point S. down to point W.,
in other words, that portion facing S.S.W.. and thus ascertaining
myself that there was no port on that coast, I weathered the point
W. and almost immediately I saw two vessels anchored. One, an Amer-
ican whaler, was very close to shore; the other, a small schooner
flying the Ecuadorian flag, was anchored way back in a small cove,
facing three or four huts one of which was also flying the Euca-
dorian flag.

The shape and the position of the cove and the existence of break-
ers between the schooner and my ship answered quite well the de-
scription given by Mr. Villamil, consequently I assumed that that
anchorage, notwithstanding its poor appearance, must be the Porto
Cabello so much boasted about, and so I maneuvered toward anchoring.

However, in oi'der to be more certain, I sent a boat to gather in-
formation while by means of another boat I ordered some soundings
at the entrance.

Shortly after, when I was in the channel, my first boat returned
from shore bringing a certain Guillermo Guerney, English born

No. 25] SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 91

established at the island for several years. He cleared all doubts
and offered to serve as a pilot. I accepted.

After a few rounds so short that several times I was compelled to
tack about, even before being able to trim sails, IjC Genie anchored
at the center of the cove, twelve meters deep, white sand bottom.

Porto Cabello is that small cove very plainly indicated at the point
W. of the island on Capt. Pitz-Roy's map. It has been known for quite
some time under the name of Bahia de los Servida, in English Wreck
Bay; on the map of La Venus it is even indicated under the name
Baie du Nanfrage, but it is poorly placed.

During the first two days of my stay at Porto Cabello, the fresh
winds were blowing, and although they came from inland, the sea
rounding the point would come rolling with force on the banks and
then enter the bay as a well rounded surf breaking with force on the
shore. There was, however, no danger for the vessel as the bottom was
good and the surf was on the edge. But communications were difficult,
even on the fine sand beach at the back of the bay. The rest of the
time, the sea has been calm and it seems that it is always more or
less the same.

One way or the other, Porto Cabello is not a port and the name
Wreck Bay fits better this cove which, in reality is just good for small
coasting vessels. The haven, when one is able to anchor, is hardly
three cables wide by four cables long and in order to arrive there,
one has to sail with the wind into a passage one third of a mile wide,
the only one known, or against the wind between the banks full of
sharp edges in a channel one cable length wide which we have dis-
covered. The Minister's special recommendation has made me decide
to sacrifice one week in order to draw a good map of Porto Cabello,
which better than any description will show you what in reality that
anchorage is.

The nearness of the watering place, an advantage indicated by
M. Villamil in favor of Wreck Bay, is almost illusory, for although
it is some ten miles distant it is often quite difficult to reach it on
account of the winds and currents which almost at all times are
against you; my launch which had started one morning at four
o'clock returned at sunset without having been able to round a first
point only two or three miles distant. A second time, the launch
started at three o'clock in the morning with a native as a pilot; it
arrived at the watering place at five o'clock in the afternoon. Being
that late and because of the condition of the sea, the launch had to
return without water.

Quite worried about the water question, I ordered the digging of
a well at some sixty meters from the seashore at a low spot. I
promptly found some water, but it was so terribly salty that it was
practically like seawater. A little further away from the seashore
it might have been fresh, but it would have been necessary to dig a
much deeper hole and it could not be done and I preferred to go my-
self with the brig to get the element at the watering place of Fresh-
Water.

92 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Pap;:rs

If this island were inhabited, it would be easy to bring water
to the seashore because there is plenty of it in the upper region and
not very far away, at only a few miles distance, but if one would
undertake that work, it would be much better to bring the water
to Stephens Bay, which is a good and spacious anchorage, than to
bring it to Wreck Bay.

August 22, at dawn, the map being finished, I set sail and before
going to visit the other islands I made for the watering place cove
in order to survey it and complete my water provision. With only
ten miles to go, I figured to drop anchor at 8 or 9 o'clock in the
morning, load water during the day. and leave in the evening, but
it was not so; and although the breeze was good. I came to back about
the reef that I had left in the morning; the whaler which I mentioned
above and which had left the day before appeared a little afterwards
at a good distance under the wind. There was an adverse current of
from 2 to 3 knots.

Then I tried to tack very close to land and it was all right, but.
during the night prudence not allowing me to remain at such short
distance, I got away and the next day I anchored at the point that
is half way. although the bottom at that spot facing squarely the
coast is quite bad, but I had to do it in order to avoid being swept
away as the wind had slacked considerably.

Very near the watering place, I sent my launch which, this time,
brought me a good load of water returning to get some more; but
during that time I had made an important discovery. All along the
coast the current changes with the tide. The next day. the 24th, early
in the morning I took advantage of a favorable current and reached
the anchorage at the watering place.

This bay of the watering place or Fresh Water is entirely open to
the predominant winds; the bottom is large and deep near the
coast. I think it is a safe anchorage for the greatest part of the year.

That part of the coast that forms this bay is much greener than
the one under the wind; each little ravine has its more or less abun-
dant stream, the one which is easier to reach and where one gets the
water cannot be seen from the sea; the ravine is very deep. A long
while l)efore reaching the shore, the water runs horizontally and even
forms a sort of small pond which is separated from the sea by a bar of
rocks through which the excess of water flows. There is a little bridge
for the boats which is very clearly indicated on the English Map and
which could be made safe and serviceable with little work.

Further to the East there is a waterfall; it is a stream that
reaches the coast at a point where tlie cliff allows it to drop some
ten or twelve meters in two gushes each representing four or five
inches of water.

Here, as at my preceding anchorage, the currents changed with the
tide and thereafter I had the occasion to make the same observation
everywhere.

August 25th, with our tanks full, I set sail at 8 o'clock in the morn-
ing heading for Flori:ina. On our way I had the Mac Gowen reef sur-

No. 25] SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 93

veyed near which we were at noon, time for the observation of the
latitude.

I have clearly seen and recognized the two heads of i-ock that are
marked on the English Map: we passed them at about two cable
lengths at the very most. Their latitude is correct as well as the
survey and bearings taken from this point on Harrington Island. These
rocks are almost level with the surface of the watei', the one to the
west is, however, less submerged than the other. They are not danger-
ous during the day, for they are clearly evident, but at night they are,
as the currents are neither adequately known nor sufficiently regular
to l)e accurately predicted.

Leaving l)ehind me the Mac Gowen reef, I soon arrived in the midst
of the islets which encircle Floriana, and after having passed, as close
as possi))le, Watson Islet (or Enderby), which is shaped like a sugar
loaf completely perpendicular, then in the very narrow channel
formed at the point North of Floriana Island by this same point and a
little islet. I came, rounding the inner bank, to anchor in the bight of
Saline Bay (way inside of the bay) near the West coast, ten fathoms,
white sand bottom.

Post or Saline Bay is a good anchorage; there, one is well sheltered
from the reigning winds but the bay has no watering place and not-
withstanding what the inhabitants say, I do not think it is possible to
bring water to the place, for there is not adequate water in the in-
terior of the island where one will only find springs that do not even
give birth to the slightest brooklet.

Floriana Island being the only island that has really been ex-
plored by Admiral Dupetit-Thouars, while on board La Venus, I
would not have to study if it had not been because I noticed consider-
able discrepancies in the shape and especially in the orientation given
this island by Capt. Fitz-Roy on one side and M. de Tessan on the
other.

After having ordered many surveys regarding points and islets
and also some azimuths in Saline Bay, I realized that the map made
in 1838 by M. de Tessan was better oriented and that on the Eng-
lish map the position of the island was affected by an error almost
equal to variation. It seems that it was observed by compass and
that they forgot to correct the variation, for, turning the island
around on itself nine degrees toward the East, Saline Bay is well
oriented and all point positions come close to those given in M. de
Tessan's map.

As to the drawing and various details regarding the coast, the
English map is far superior to M. de Tessan's plan. One can tell that
Capt. Fitz-Roy saw everything, and quite closely, while M. de Tessan
just went by.

The opinion I have just given is the result of an exploration by
launch by my assistant M. Forget, from Saline Bay to Gardner Islet
from the south, and by me from the same Bay to the east point where
there is a small cove at the entrance of the ravine formed by the Las
Cuevas Mountains, whei-e, according to the natives, some buccaneers

94 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

had established themselves in natural grottos that one still sees but
that to me look too small for the purpose mentioned above.

On August 30th, having nothing else to do at Floriana. I left at
six o'clock in the evening and I ordered the course to be set so that
next morning, at dawn, we would be facing the south coast of All)e-
marle. I had not yet decided which side I would visit first. I was in-
clined to start with the eastern portion which would allow me to take
some bearings regarding Bolivia and Olmedo islands and then to round
the north point of Albemarle in order to return under the wind. This
last part seemed to be rather difficult to perform in that narrow chan-
nel separating Narborough from Albemarle where the English map
indicates a reverse and steady current of one and a half miles per
hour. Undecided, I left it to fate to choose and on the 31st, at dawn,
the winds being a little more east than usual, and the current having
dragged me a little more west of Cape Rose, I cast off to round the
island by the West.

After passing Essex Point, I entered the Bay of Diguanal which is
a detestable anchorage. The coast, at this point, is very high, but arriv-
ing at, and after passing that point, the coast is very low.

Once arrived at Christopher Point, an immense plain covered
with small volcanic cones and lava unfolded to my eyes. It was so
odd that I decided to stop in order to have it surveyed. While my
launch was at the shore, I continued along the coast, always at a
few cable lengths so as to see every detail. This navigation, more-
over, did not offer any danger, all winds coming from shore, but the
coast, although very low, falls away so abruptly that one cannot an-
chor even only a cable length from shore. Night drawing near, I
stopped to wait for my launch. I had at that time reached the last
point preceding Elizabeth Bay.

Next day at dawn, to my great astonishment, winds became north-
ern and remained so until eleven o'clock at which time, changing to
south, they allowed me to head toward Tagus Cove where I wanted
to anchor. As I arrived at the entrance of the channel, I had again
' some north winds and behind me I could see the demarcation line
of the south wind. Consequently I had to maneuver, and as the breeze
was weak, I kept close to the coast of Albemarle, fearing being car-
ried away beyond my anchorage by currents that I judged strong.
This precaution was completely useless, for it was not long before the
current changed, and from that time on, having sea and wind against
me, I did not gain any and tacked until midnight without being able
to reach the Tagus anchorage to which I had sent a launch with a lan-
tern in order to be able to locate the entrance which was difficult to
find because of the obscurity of the bight and the confusing highlands
which form this little haven.

After midnight, the breeze ceased completely. I had my launches
pull me and thus I was able to come quite close to the coast, a little
south of the port so as to anchor about a cable length from shore.

I Iguana Cove.

No. 25] SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 9S

As soon as I anchored, the current reversed again, but as we all
needed rest, we all went to bed and the next morning;, wind and sea
l>eing favorable, I entered easily and dropped anchor in the middle of
Tagus haven.

The map of Tagus given by Capt. Fitz-Roy is remarkably exact
even in its smallest details. In this haven, the sea is perfectly calm;
one could careen there and it is, properly speaking, the only port
that exists in the island. But it is very small, inlaid between moun-
tains so high and so steep that one cannot land except at the mouth of
a stream which is exactly at the end of it and to the right.

The small salty lake indicated on the map is extremely I'emark-
able. It has a circular shape and is the bottom of an immense crater,
the edges being so steep that it is very difficult to reach the water.
However, by means of ropes I let a bore go down to sound it. One
found four fathoms at a short distance from the edges and five and
a half in the center. Its largest diameter is 380 m. and the smallest
350 m. If one could cut the ridge that separates it from the port, it
would make a very beautiful dock, but the job would be consid-
erable, because this portion, although narrow and the lowest one, is
still some fifty or sixty meters high.

Tagus is like the anchorages at Floriana and Mercedes; it has
absolutely no water. There are, however, at the Eastern point of the
entrance, toward the South, two places where a few drops of water
ooze through the rock, but one would have great pain trying to col-
lect a few liters per day and, still, this water is not so fresh not-
withstanding it comes from a point higher than the sea level.

The North Coast south of the heights in the middle of which Tagus
is wedged, is very low and offers the same aspect as the Point Christo-
pher region: small craters of lava scattered in all directions. The Coast
of Narborough forming the other side of the channel is possibly still
lower and, remarkably, one cannot touch bottom near the lower por-
tions while one can anchor on both sides of the entrance of Tagus all
along the high and steep ones. The same applies to the anchorage at
Iguana at the point West of Albemarle and to other regions of these
islands.

During my stay at Tagus Cove the north and south winds would
alternate: in the morning the south wind would blow and the north
wind in the evening. Currents would also follow the tide.

These observations have led me to realize that it is equally easy
to head toward either Cape Berkeley or Point Christopher and, re-
gretting that I did not start from the east, I was forced to come back
in order to explore the S. E. Coast of Albemarle which had been
described to me as the only one having any importance because of
its fertility, but at the same time as a dangerous and almost inac-
cessible coast.

As I came to that decision I set sail on Sept. 3 at 4 o'clock in the
afternoon, and with the aid of a little breeze N. N. W. I left the chan-
nel shortly after the wind changed to W. S. W. and continued to
change ; but the currents being less felt in the gulf formed by the Albe-
marle and Narborough islands, I arrived very easily at Christopher

96 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papkrs

Point where I found with the regular winds all the difficulties that I
had encountered when I went up the bay to the watering place at Mer-
cedes: the winds increased during the day, and keeping very close to
the coast I hung out with difficulty during the night, and there re-
mained belore me two days of painful tacking to round Cape Rose,
that is to say to make ten miles in the face of the wind.

After rounding Cape Rose without bothering about the reputation
of the windy coast of Albemarle as depicted to me. and fully trusting
Capt. Fitz-Roy's map. I followed the entire E.S.E. coast of this island at
a distance of one mile and often less, going into every bight and sur-
veying every rock and at night I came out between the Crossman
Islands near which I stayed until next day.

The rocks marked in the E. \i N. E. of Cape Rose and north of
Bi'attle Island are steep and above water. Brattle Island and Cross-
man Islands seem to be old craters; they are steep also. The coast
of Albemarle is low and good, although the sea breaks in with force.
Only the points might be dangerous, especially at night, for they are
so low that quite often one will see the breakers before seeing land.
For this reason one might conclude that the reefs are quite distant
from shore if, following his first impression he would get away too
soon. Summing up I may affirm that over the entire distance I have
travelled there is nothing that resembles a port.

On the 7th of September at dawn I left the coast of Albemarle
coming over to the coast of Bolivia. I passed very near Nameless
Islet which is quite high and steep.

Heading then toward the coast in order to navigate closely along
it, I saw two or three huts at the foot of a knoll marked on the map
in the middle of the western portion of the island facing Duncan Is-
land, and a three-masted American whaler that was anchored very
near the coast in front of the huts. When I came near the whaler, I
sent a launch to gather information and thus I learnt that at that
place only there was a path leading to the interior of the island. I
dropped anchor near the whaler, ten fathoms depth and about }-j mile
from shore.

At that spot, which is not sufficiently far out leeward from the
island, the sea is agitated without being rough, but from that point
on one can anchor most anywhere. Conway Bay is three miles distant
in the N. N. E. This bay is not the best anchorage. One is beyond
there.

There is no water near the coast and the few individuals who
live at the seashore are compelled to go ten or twelve miles in the
interior to fetch some from where it is very abundant. If the island
should become important, one should bring water to the main anchor-
age which is also the one nearest to the spring and the fertile portion
of the island : but this was unknown to the first settlers who today still
remain at that place because of their huts and the path which they
use for the exploration of the interior.

General Mena, who came from Mercedes to Bolivia for the ex-
ploitation of turtle oil. had indicated to me a certain spot near the sea
where he though that by digging deep enough I would certainly obtain

No. 25] SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

some water. I decided to try the experiment, but after having drilled a
layer of vegetal soil, rather clayish, of some 60 cm. thickness we found
such a hard rock that because of lack of tools and time we were com-
pelled to give up our attempt.

At last, on September 11th, l^ack from my exploration in the in-
terior, I set sail leaving for the bay indicated on the map, within
Cape Barrington of Albemarle Island and in which Capt. P"'itz-Roy
does not seem to have entered, for he does not give any soundings
besides those marked at the point of the entrance.

After rounding Cape Barrington at a good distance in order to
avoid the reef and the white shoals around it, I retui'ned toward the
south, but the bottom having promptly jumped from 15 to 10 fathoms,
I anchored in order to take soundings by means of launches before
proceeding any further.

At four o'clock in the afternoon my launches returned reporting
that they had found ten fathoms everywhere even to the water edge.
The sea was perfectly smooth and I was surrounded by land on all
sides. Everything was telling me that at this spot we had the best and
even the only road in the islands and I was therefore unable to under-
stand why Capt. Fitz-Roy had ignored it. I decided to stop to, at least,
make a good sketch of it and in order to make the job easier, I dropped
anchor at -^ mile from the coast way inside Cape Barrington.

M. E. Cellos, aided by Messrs. Jamin and Meynard, made the
map that I enclose together with this report, it is as accurate as the
little time that was possible to give to the work has permitted.

Hydrographical work has confirmed my first impression. The bay
I have been speaking about is a quite beautiful road sheltered from
all the winds that blow with a certain force. Its entrance at the point
where I am anchored was only 75 degrees and in the middle of it 01-
medo Island is situated. The bottom, however, is not very good, for
although the sounding lead often indicates presence of sand, I am in-
clined to believe that the real bottom is lava covered by a thin layer
of sand, because, when my anchor came up without the stock, I saw
on the flukes some striped marks indicating the presence of a hard
bottom.

The coastline is covered with mangroves and very high trees un-
known to me. This gives the coast a very romantic aspect, but as soon
as one sets foot on shore the illusion is of short duration. Beyond the
rather thin border one finds an immense plain of lava and scoria.

All along the coast, one finds small ponds covered with teal, and
in the interior one finds everywhere traces of water; in the crevices
one finds the kind of plant that grows in the bottom of wells, all of
which proves a great humidity and the presence during a large part
of the year of reservoirs of fresh water.

The water of the salty ponds near the sea becomes briny and then
almost fresh at a short distance from shore, beyond where there is
no more water to be found. This, added to what I said before, makes
one believe that digging further, away from the sea, one would find
fresh water and in abundance.

98 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

The less briny water that we found, cooks vegetables well and is
drinkable. But it is not agreeable and in reality it is not fresh enough
to be considered for drinking purposes.

When I left, I went around the road on the side of the isthmus and
I found the bottom very even. It is a little larger here than at the
point where I anchored.

So after navigating for some time and for the last time a portion
of the coast of Albemarle, I turned to starboard and headed toward
Cape Nepeau of Olmedo Island which I sounded very closely as far as
James Bay where I dropped anchor by 8 fathoms deep, white sand
bottom fringing a sand beach and lagoons indicated on the map.

After dropping anchor, I went to visit the watering place indi-
cated on Capt. Fitz-Roy's map and I found it as described. Nothing
escaped the perspicacity of this conscientious observer: the smallest
holes, the smallest details are all indicated with really astonishing
precision and following his drawing one can visualize in the most
accurate manner the shape of the coast. Coming after him. there is
not even an opportunity to glean; consequently as to hydrography
I am not reporting anything new besides the map of the road of
the isthmus, but I hope to be able to inspire such confidence in the
work of that hydrographer that one shall be convinced, as I am my-
self, inspecting his map, that there does not exist anywhere in the
Galapagos Archipelago a port that really deserves that name. I
assert this as far as the portion that I have visited is concerned, com-
prising more than one third of the total length. One might find a few
holes like Wreck Bay between Cape Woodford and Cape Barrington
or little further north, or maybe also on the south coast of Bolivia;
but one will not find a port in the real acceptation of the word, at least
I think so.

The watering place at James Bay is a quite beautiful spring of
delicious water which comes from a sandstone mountain, just close
to the seashore. Digging a reservoir of a certain capacity large
enough to receive the whole amount from the spring, thei-e would be
enough water to supply all whalers that might call at that port, even
at this season which is the driest of the year.

Today the greater pai't of the water is lost in the sea and one can-
not obtain it but at two small holes dug by man's hand. One of these
holes contains 65 litres and the other 7; they furnish at this time
of the year 1.200 litres of water per day. Higher up in the ravine
that separates the two sandstone mountains and that serves as bed
to a stream during the wet season; I have seen another small spring
at over sixty meters above sea level.

Everywhere in the mountain which is very steep on the side look-
ing toward the sea one sees traces of dried up springs and even
some wet spots. Everything indicates that one could get there a good
watering place. The only thing needed would be a little work with
no difficulties to surmount.

Unable now to prolong my stay in the islands without going
beyond the time allowed me for the exploration, and besides having

No. 25] SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 99

visited all the islands that because of their size or fertility had any
importance — the others being mere sterile reefs, I left James Bay on
September 17 at eight o'clock in the morning; but I left the archi-
pelago definitely the next day as on the 17th I was engaged surveying
the east portions of Olmedo and Bolivia islands.

Now that I have reported on my navigation and have given my
opinion on the degree of confidence that one may give these observa-
tions, I only have to report further on the purely nautical part of my
mission, to sum up what I said regarding hydrography and present a
few general considerations on seasons, wind, and current.

All the Galapagos Islands are elevated at their centers and may be
sighted from far away when their summits are not engulfed in clouds
as they are most of the time; the land slopes down gently toward the
seashore where it forms exceedingly low points sometimes almost sub-
merged. There are, however, some places where the coast is high and
steep and usually it is at the foot of these elevated portions that one
finds a good bottom for anchoring.

The seashore is not treacherous as a rule and one can run very
close to it with security even when the wind is blowing and the sea
is breaking with force.

Practically all the hazards are evident; the huge rocks which pro-
ject to various elevations, fall away abruptly to great depths.

There is no closed port in the whole archipelago, but under the
winds from the islands there are many good anchorages. The most
beautiful road is the one at the isthmus ; there one finds coves where
one can careen very well. The fear inspired by the windy coast of
Albemarle and by the sand bar at Cape Barrington has, undoubtedly
until now, kept away all vessels, for we have not found there on land
any trace indicating the passage of men, while everywhere else we
have seen here the grave of an American captain, there some cut
trees, someplace else ashes, in other words we are convinced that
others before us have visited the same places.

Finally, Capt. Fitz-Roy's map makes the navigation of the archi-
pelago easy and not very dangerous. That map is. as a matter of fact,
remarkable in its accuracy of the relative and absolute positions of the
islands and perhaps much more by the truthfulness of all the details
that have not escaped his minute investigations, and if one notices
here and there, and especially at Floriana, some slight errors re-
garding the situation of the points, it is undoubtedly because the
details were made by compass. Be as it may and notwithstanding
those imperfections, that work is above most all the others we have
in our possession, and comes immediately after the beautiful maps
of M. Beautemps-Beaupre.

At the time La Yenus called, the islands had been inhabited only
for a little time, consequently the seasons were not well known and
undoubtedly that is the reason for the error into which Admiral Du-
petit Thouars fell. The Admiral had only theoretical considerations
for a guide.

Although the sun passes twice at the zenith at intervals almost
equal, there are not however two summers and two winters. There

100 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papkrs

are really but two seasons as in the Antilles, i.e., the dry season of
general winds and the rainy season with stormy and quiet periods.

The season of general winds, the beautiful season, the one called
summer, begins in May and ends in December. During those eight
months, winds blow steadily from S. to S.E., a fine wind. "When this
meets the land winds, a lot of clouds are produced, and the summits of
the islands are shrouded in clouds and vapors that produce great
humidity. It rains there during a great part of the day, without a
single drop of water coming to refresh the dried up lands of the sea-
shore; only during the months of July and August, dew is more abun-
dant and a damp fog covers the land until ten or eleven o'clock in the
morning, a circumstance very annoying to navigators, one that has
inconvenienced me often. The month of October is the driest of all ; it
is then that the lowest small ponds dry up compelling the inhabitants
to go a few more miles to fetch the necessary water for their con-
sumption.

Winter, that is the hot and calm season with variable winds, rains
and storms, begins in December extending to May which perfectly cor-
responds to the period of the year during which the line of equatorial
calm advances more toward the south. During that season, winds
blow often from the west and sometimes from the north, but never too
strong nor for a long time, making the different anchorages of which
I have spoken dangerous. The road on the isthmus is also at that time
the best; abundant rains inundate the low regions of the islands,
while through some sort of compensation the summits are usually
cleared and receive in total less water than in the other season. As for
the plateaus, winter is the dry season.

I have given all the imaginable care to verify those facts. I did not
go by the opinion of the more learned; I have consulted laborers and
other men of the people. All agreed entirely and some of them have
lived in that country for the past twelve or sixteen years.

Experience, furthermore, has confirmed my assertions, for as La
Genie was at the islands at the end of August and beginning of Sep-
tember, we should have experienced calm weather, great heat, rains,
in one word the beginning of one of the two winters. But such was
not the case. To the contrary: it was constantly rather cool instead
of warm, the thermometer did not go above 22^ centigrade and the
average temperature was 20.8°. It did not rain. There was no storm
and there was not one calm day; no other wind blowing from a dif-
ferent direction but the trade winds.

During the summer the currents are almost steady and west-
wardly of about one mile per hour. During the other season they are
very variable and even eastwardly at times and very violent. Here
is an example that endangered the life of the most important inhabi-
tant of these islands:

No. 25] SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 101

General Mena who liad loft Floriana to come to Mercedes with
several laborers and a woman was overtaken by night in mid chan-
nel. Counting on the usual direction of the current he did not worry
and went to bed. Next morning when he woke up, land had disap-
peared and they had for food only cowhides and sky water.

Twenty-three days latei-, their frail whale boat, half sunk, was
picked up by an American fisherman 200 miles east of the island. They
were almost dead. I would think it difficult to understand how they
were able to exist during those long days. The incident has been re-
ported to me by several of those who were there.

Wind and cui'rent deviate from their natural directions through
the islands that are on their course, to produce some effects that I
shall Indicate for the sake of navigation.

Under the wind of the large islands, one finds variable winds and
even north breezes. Within the angle formed by the two portions of
Albemarle, the effect is quite evident and considerably aids navi-
gation. Currents are weak and variable leeward of the islands,
where they acquire a velocity of two and three miles along the
coast E. S. E. and W. N. W. There, with the regular free winds, it
is very diflScult to sail to the wind and round the points that for-
tunately are not long.

Very near shore currents change together with the tide, which also
makes its influence felt out at sea.

During part of the summer the only watering place where one can
get a considerable supply of water is at Fresh Water, Mercedes
Island. With little work, the watering place at Olmedo, without any
particularly abundant volume, could supply all whalers and war ves-
sels of medium size.

During winter one finds water everywhere and I am convinced
that, several months after that season, the watering place at Olmedo
must still give plenty of water.

Finally: One finds everywhere with extreme easiness, a good
supply of fire wood and sand.

VOYAGE OF THE CORVETTE DECREE

On the eruise of the French corvette Decres to the Oalapagos
Islands, two anchorages were plotted by Passed Midshipman Estienne.
These were Wreck Bay, Chatham Island, and Black Beach Roads,
Charles Island. The following- rather literal translation of a description
of Charles Island as it was at the time of the Decres' visit and as given
by the commanding officer is of great interest to later visitors :

102

CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

[Oc. Papers

Fig. 17. The French Navy is represented in the Galapagos surveys by the
chart of Black Beach Roads, Charles Island, made in 1887 by Passed Midship-
man M. Estienne of the corvette Decres.

Ts\^VY DEPARTMENT

Carton 81 - No. 248

Pacific Ocean Division: 1887

EXTRACTS FROM A REPORT OF THE SEA
by the Commander of the DECRES

From Panama to Galapagos ......

* * :i: * ^ *

Saturday, May 14th, at 6 o'clock in the morning we siglited
Chatham.

I maneuvered in such a manner as to be able to pass along the full
length of its coast from east to west. I have not been able to discover
any trace of construction of a lighthouse at the N. E. point.

The Governor of the island told me, moveover, that none would
be built for a long time. Coming near Wreck Point I got near shore,
at some 300 meters, in order to have a good view of the cove where,
according to instructions, small ships enter. I anchored facing the
beach, when the men taking soundings, and who up to that time did
not find the 40 meters bottom, called out 28 meters bottom (sand and
gravel ) .

The little adjoining sketch, rapidly made by Passed Midshipman
ESTIENNE, will show you the place of anchorage of the DECRES,

No. 25] SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 103

the shape of the cove (Puerto Chico), which, besides, is very well
drawn on the English Map No. 1375. and the position of the small
lighthouse, visible at 5 miles, which has been erected on the beach.

Sunday May 15, at 11 o'clock in the evening, I set sail for Floriana
Island. This island was more interesting to visit, because a portion of
its territory was l)onght quite some time ago by a Frenchman. M. Leon
de ITUBURU, and information that I had gathered about it at Guaya-
quil had made me suppose that the island was in full exploitation.
It is not so.

I anchored at Black Beach May 16 at 11 o'clock in the morning
and I penetrated toward the interior of the island up to a point where
the French maps show a village. It has been impossible for me and
for the officers who, on their own accord, have travelled through the
island, to discover any trace of habitation in the area previously dedi-
cated to agriculture. If there is any trace left, the tall grass that has
invaded the plain makes it impossible for us to see it, and even from
the highest peaks we could not see a thing.

The north side of Floriana is less arid than that of Chatham, and
the central portion looks to me richer and more fertile. But none of us
has found cane plantations or manioc stalks. To make up for it, orange
and lemon trees grow everywhere on the plain and on the hills. In the
S. E. portion a magnificent hedge of lemon trees marks the boundary
of a piece of land some 500 meters on one side, where only one certain
plant grows (from the family of the composite flowers, I believe), dis-
regarded by the animals that now live in the island in the wild state.
We have seen a large number of donkeys grazing on the hill-slopes
and on the highest summits; often they would come in small groups
of six or eight to within a short distance of us; the oxen, on the other
hand, more suspicious and timid, would run away at full speed; also
a herd of pigs was sighted near a pond close to the only spring we
have found in our recent excursions.

That spring had on May 17th a flow of about 300 liters per hour.
Will it have the same quantity all the year 'round? The aspect and
configuration of the ground makes one think that there must be some
others on the island and that it is not the lack of water that must
have brought about the giving up of a many year's old enterprise still
in full activity in 1875 (see instructions).

Has not M. VALDIZAN, who was in charge of the concern at that
date, and who died in .July, 1878, had a successor? Is the ownership of
the island so in doubt, or has its exploitation become so precarious,
that it has been decided to discontinue the supervision — after all not
essential — where animals, perfectly free, find their food so easily?

Be that as it may, the island of Floriana today has no inhabitants;
of the house on the shore there is nothing left but two beams and the
top girder, but at 200 meters elevation on the road that leads to the
interior, one can see at a distance the house that undoubtedly was
used during the last years of Senor VALDIZAN.

104 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OP SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

It is a log hut covered with sheet-iron, the sides are made of a
double layer of bamboo, the floor, a little above the ground, is still
in good condition; there is a beautiful vine on the east side, outside
the veranda, of which one still sees the posts and the baluster. Fifty
feet away the grave of the last master of the island is located. It is sur-
mounted by a black cross, and on one of the sides of the wooden rail-
ing that encircles it, a little frame is hanging. On it the following
funeral inscription is engraved:

Aqui ^ Yacen

los venerables restos del

Seiior Jose VALDIZAN

G.8 P. D.

Fallecioel 23 de Julio 1878

[English. Here — lie the venerable remains of Mr. Jose Valdizan —
May he rest in peace — He died July 23, 1878.]

Near this tomb there is another, surmounted by a cross, on which
one reads these words only: "P. Posa."

In conclusion I think I should add, that at Chatham, as well as at
Floriana, there are no dangerous animals. Moreover, the fauna is very
poorly represented. One sees a few lizards and some very scarce
centipedes, two or three kinds of birds of the sparrow family, some
red ants, and very few mosquitoes.

Information given me at Chatham regarding the James and Inde-
fatigable islands, was very precise and I had to visit them. They are
habitable but not inhabited. One finds water there and land turtles,
Gahipagos (of which, I, myself, have not been able to see a single
specimen). The nautical instructions confirmed, however, M. COBOS'
statements, but it was not the same in the case of the island of Albe-
marle, which I circled in order to assure myself of its configuration
and its structure, and also in order to see the Tagus Cove, indicated as
being able to shelter six frigates. (See instruction No. 528.)

Point "S," that I distinguished at dawn, looks to me quite green
and not very much wooded, but the western side is literally deso-
late. Everything is lava, from summit to seashore; here and there
there are small sand l)eaches between black rocks which are sur-
mounted bv a few stunted trees.

"["G": This might have been an error of the typist writing the French copy, or of the
Commander of the Decres. It should be an "E" (E. P. D.). In Spanish, it .stands for "En Paz
Descanes,"' which niean.s "Rest in peace."]

No. 25] SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 105

Narborough presents a similar aspect, but one sees better than on
the large island, its neighbor, traces of recent eruptions. The N. E.
side of the large plateau is, as a matter of fact, covered with torn
craters, some open on the side toward the sea, and there is no vege-
tation to be seen in their interior.

Tagus Cove offers an excellent anchorage of fine black sand. It
is an old crater, once partially submerged under the sea and then
raised at a comparatively recent period, judging by the parallel
marks left by the sea on its edges. A salt water lagoon of great depth
is located at a certain distance from the back of the bay, but I have
not seen any sign of creek or brook. The soil has an ashy appearance
and does not seem to be fertile, and an establishment near Tagus Cove
would be in great need of (supplies) brought in from the American
continent, or from either Chatham or Floriana islands.

The Captain commanding the Decres

Signed, LA GUERRE

On board the Duquesne, Papeete, July 1887,

By the Rear-Admiral, Commanding in Chief

and by his order.

INHABITANTS

Though visitors to the Galapagos were no novelty, for many years
these islands were without permanent inhabitants. The first was Pat-
rick Watkins, a member of the crew of a British ship who either
requested to be put ashore or was marooned by his captain. He was
evidently a resourceful person and not without ambition, as it took
him plenty of time and labor to make a bare living on Charles Island,
which he chose to be his future home. Building himself a hut for
shelter, he started a garden where he grew vegetables to sell to the
numerous whale ships that visited the island for water and tortoises.
To show how numerous these vessels were in the early days (1832-
1833), in a period of about a year thirty-one stopped at Charles
Island. On May 14, 1813, Midshipman Feltus, of the frigate Essex,
visited the wreck of his habitation and probably got information con-
cerning him from the whalers. He mentions in his diary that Watkins
was on the island for about five years before the arrival of the Essex,
and stayed there about two years before making his escape in a whale-
boat he stole while its crew were inland on a search for tortoises
and water. This would date tlie first permanent resident at about
1807. After the departure of Watkins, the islands remained unin-
liabited until General Josr Villamil, a native of Louisiana, obtained a

106 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Or. Papkrs

concession to establish a colony there. This he had in mind before the
war with Great Britain but was assured that the Spanish Government
would never permit it. However, when Ecuador gained complete in-
dependence from the mother country, Villamil, who had now received
the title of general for his services in the war for liberation, renewed
his liopes of founding a colony in the Galapagos and obtained permis-
sion from the Government of Ecuador to promote his scheme.

He chose Charles Island for the site of his venture and in January,
1832, Colonel Hernandez and twelve colonists were dispatched to the
island. They were followed by General Villamil with additional set-
tlers toward the end of the year. The colony prospered, supplying the
numerous whale ships with meat and vegetables and finally grew to
a population of some two hundred fifty souls. Unfortunately, the
Government of Ecuador made use of the island to dispose of its un-
desirable citizens, and Villamil, as well as the rest of the settlers, ob-
jecting to the intrusion, abandoned the settlement, leaving the island
to a few convicts and their guards.

In 1869, Senor Manuel J. Cobos, of a prominent Guayaquil family,
started a settlement on Chatham which he named Progreso. The early
days of the venture proved somewhat difficult, its founder being a
tyrant and cruel beyond all reason to the slaves who labored for him.
Flogging was common and even executions were in order when the
master saw fit. Finally in desperation under such tyranny, some
peons broke into his room one night as he slept and killed him with
their machetes.

Today, Progreso is the seat of the government and a flourishing
colony situated on a plateau some three miles above Wreck Bay to
which it is connected by a wagon road.

The principal crops are coffee and sugar, but there are many
fruits grown such as papayas, bananas, oranges, and lemons. Com-
merce is carried on through the port of AVreck Bay, which is a port
of entry, and all vessels calling at the Galapagos should report there
on arrival and clear on departure. The sugar cane is processed at the
local mill and all the products sent to the mainland are carried on
the plantation schooner Sail Cristobal, formerly the Manuel J. Cohos,
a veteran of some 79 years service.

About the same time, or possibly a year later, one Seiior Valdizan
obtained a concession to gather orchilla, known as dyer s moss, which
was of eonsidera])le value and found commonly on many of the islands.
However, his efforts were short-lived, as like Cobos he met his death
at the hands of assassins, and his orchilla gatherers returned to the
mainland or joined the colony on Chatham.

No. 2.-)]

SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

107

~-~ir'ii'fir-~ -m

Fig. IS. Tlie schooner ^(/« Vri.stoJnil. t'ornieiiy the Manuel J. Cobos. was
built at Puna, Ecuador, eighty years ago and has served El Progreso well over
fifty years. Now equipped with an engine and wireless, it is still in service
(1954), carrying the products of the plantation to the mainland.

No attempt was made to establish further colonies until Don An-
tonio Gil, another prominent citizen of Guayaquil, investigated
Charles Island about 1893 and decided after a short stay that it was
not desirable. Instead he chose Albemarle Island and landed on the
southern coast at a point called Turtle Cove. Here a small village
was erected which was called Villamil, and another some 2,000 feet
up the great southern volcano just at the upper edge of the tree belt.
This village was named Santo Thomas. In 1906, there was a contented
population of some 200 inhabitants living off the cattle which roamed
aliout the grasslands surrounding the huge crater, and a small amount
of sulphur which was dug from a deposit in the crater wall and trans-
ported by burros to the beach at Villamil. Cattle were occasionally
driven down the mountain to the l)each and transported on hoof or
slaughtered on the mountain top and shipped as hides. Like Pro-
greso, Villamil had its transportation problem and this was met with
the brigantine Nellie, a "home-made" looking vessel with a wood-
burning boiler. In 1906, this settlement was still a well-ordered com-
munity.

108 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

The last attempt at colonization was made shortly after the turn
of the century when some Norwegian promoters brought about sixty
of their countrymen to start farming and fruit-growing on Charles
Island. The promoters managed to escape before the prospective set-
tlers discovered their plight, though by some miracle they managed
to live out most of a year. Some went to Chatham and a few to Inde-
fatigable Island, where they managed to raise enough food to live on
and sell vegetables to the fleet of tuna boats frequenting Galapagos
waters. Some of these are still there nursing their ideas about real
estate speculators.

After the Norwegians, there came a handful of escapists and adven-
turers, now that the islands had gained plenty of notoriety. First and
foremost of these was Dr. Karl Hitter and his consort who settled on
Charles Island in 1929. All of these have long since disappeared and
most of them have added nothing but unfavorable notoriety to the
history of the Galapagos.

At the present writing, a single family^ the Wittmers, now live on
Charles Island leaving Margret Wittmer as the custodian of the
famous barrel "post office."

THE GALAPAGOS "POST OFFICE"

Unique among post offices on the shores of the Pacific is the one
at Post Office Bay, Charles Island, in the Galapagos Archipelago. This
"post office," a barrel nailed to a post, was doing an active business
as far back at 1794, when the Congress of the United States passed
the first laws for the management of the postal service, and even
though times have changed with unbelievable rapidity and its serv-
ices are no longer necessary, it is still functioning.

Who nailed up the first barrel in Post Office Bay, and when? No
record has yet turned up. Perhaps it was in some long-lost ship's log.
Captain James Colnett, Royal Navy, went to the Galapagos in the
year 1793 on board the merchant ship Rattler to look into the possi-
bilities of whaling in those waters. As far as can be ascertained, he
made no mention in either his diary or his log of erecting a post
office, though it is marked on his chart which is dated 1793. British
whalers were in the Pacific earlier, the whaler Amelia, Captain Shields,
sailing from London for the Pacific in 1787. It is possil)le, therefore,
that some British whaler set it up and that Captain Colnett found it
on his an-ivnl, though there seems to be no proof that such is the case.

In this modern worhl wiiere time and distance have been reduced to
insignificance, we are accustomed to sending lottei's aci'oss the seas

No. 25]

SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

109

Fig. 19. Captain Linbi-idge of the schooner Mat-y Sachs stands by while
Rollo H. Beck, famous Galapagos explorer, mails a letter in the barrel erected
bv H.M.S. Leander.

in a few days by fast ships or by air in a few hours. One hundred
and fifty years ago. or more, when the whalers of New England made
cruises of one, two, or even three years in quest of the sperm whale
or cachalot as they called it, things Avere quite different. It was then
that the "post office" on Charles Island was in its prime, used by the
whalers cruising the Galapagos waters — their best way of sending
word to the folks at liome, even though it may have taken a year or
more for a letter to reach its destination.

It was customary for a homeward-bound whaler to call at Post
Office Bay if possible, pick up the mail, and carry it to her home port.
Eventually, through the courtesy of merchants and l)y devious ways,
it would get to the families and friends of the men who had trusted
their letters to a barrel on a lonely beach in the Pacific.

Of historical interest it is that, during the War of 1812, Captain
David Porter, commanding the U. S. frigate Essex, used the "post

office" strategically

Ile states in his journal :

CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

[Ot . Papi:rs

In the morning I stood to the westward, with a pleasant breeze
from the east, which run us, by 2 P. M., as far as the harbour of
Charles Island. On arriving opposite to it, we could perceive no ves-
sels; but understanding that vessels that stopped there for refresh-
ments, such as turtle and land tortoise, and for wood, were in the
practice of depositing letters in a box placed for the purpose near the
landing-place, (which is a small beach sheltered by rocks, about the
middle of the bay) I dispatched Lieutenant Downes to ascertain if
any vessels had been lately there, and to bring off such letters as
might be of use to us, if he should find any. He returned in about
three hours, with several papers, taken from a box which he found
nailed to a post, over which was a black sign, on which was painted
Hathaway 's PostofRce.

Through the years, of course, the barrel, which was marked "Post
Office," had to l)e replaced — when the hoops rusted the cask would
fall apart. Now and then a box of some sort would replace the bar-
rel. Various vessels took on the repairing and replacing of the beach-
side mailbox, but chiefly British men-of-war going to station at
Esquimault or en route home to be paid off.

On October 4, 1905, the expedition of the California Academy
of Sciences to the (Jahipagos Island visited Post Office Bay and found
the barrel in fair condition. The hoops were somewhat rusted but
holding together. An inscription on it read: "Erected by 11. M.S.
Leander/' Crews of various vessels calling had painted or carved the
names of their ships on the barrel. Among them were His ^lajesty's
ships Virago and Amphion, the French cruiser Protet, the U.S.S. Ore-
gon, and the U.S.F.S. Albatross.

Fig. 20. H.M.S. Leander. the ship responsible for putting up the barrel
which was serving the Ijancl post office when the expedition of the California
Academy of Sciences visited Post Office Bay in 1905.

No. 25]

SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

111

a 'Of.

pOST-OfFlCE

IftPAGOS

Mr. Joseph H, sievin,
California Acadery of Goionoos,
.Golden Gate Park,
San Francisco, California

^ S ^.

Fig. 21. Envelope addressed to the author and mailed from the Barrel Post
Office on Charles Island.

A member of the Academy's expedition mailed a letter which was
afterward found to have been delivered just a year to the day after
it was dropped into the barrel. It was picked np by the British yacht
Deerhoimd, finally reaching the office of the Postmaster General in
AVashington. The rnst from the barrel hoops had obliterated the ad-
dress so that only the surname of the addressee and the city were
legible. Nevertheless, the Post Office Department delivered the letter
safely.

A letter mailed to the w^riter on January 3, 1932, arrived about
a month later, having been picked up by Vincent Astor's yacht Nour-
makal. This was brought to Papeete and came up on the regular mail
steamer. Service has improved somewhat in the last few decades.

SHIPWRECKS

Throughout the years, many vessels have left their bones upon
Galapagos shores. When Porter was cruising along the Albemarle
coast in search of the enemy, he sighted the wreckage of a vessel
within five miles of Point Christopher. The shore was covered with
what he took to be barrel staves, which led him to believe the vessel
was a whaler, l)ut the surf Avas too high to attempt a landing and he
could not be certain w^hether the wreck was that of a British or
American vessel.

In later years (1850), the whale ship Lafayette, of New Bedford,
was lost on Albemarle, 35 months out with 600 bbls. of sperm oil. She
went ashore in the night as the captain was running in to come to

112 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

anchor. The vessel was stove in by hitting a rock and became a total
loss. The whale ship Golconda, of New Bedford, took off the captain,
mate, and part of the crew. Two boats which left the ship were never
heard of again.

The ships Damon, of Newport, the Brandt, of New Bedford, and
the bark Cathenvood w^ere lost between 1847 and 1855, while the
ship President which ran aground was more fortunate than her sisters,
reaching home in a damaged condition.

His Majesty's ship Magicienne had an experience too in touching
bottom, which can best be told by her log.

The Magicienne Eocks, named after the ship, are not shown on
tlie general charts of the islands, but are marked on the detailed
anchorage of Gardner Bay on Admiralty Chart No. 1376.

His ^Majesty's steam vessel Magicienne, Nicholas Vansittort com-
manding, a wooden ship built in 1847 with tonnage of 1325, was in
Gardner Bay, Hood Island, October 14, 1857, where she hit bottom
w^hile weighing anchor and narrowly escaped disaster.

October 15, 1857

7:05 Weighed went on ahead easy set job went on easy proceed-
ing out of Gardner Bay sliip took the ground stopped and reversed
engine occasionally started 10 tons of water out of boat preparatory
to laying out bower anchor transported guns aft lighted two more
fires at 8:35 ship floated clear of rock up and in boats and proceeded
at 9:05 with two boilers and 8 fires

Passed Gardner Island steering for the northern part of Charles
Anchored in Post Office Bay Charles Island ship making l^o
inches of water an hour keep one pump at work during the night

October 16

The leak having gained during the night and 10 lo in- being in the
well worked two pumps and reduced it to 5 in. at 8 a.m.

Proceed out of the Bay for Indefatigable Isl. under steam with
two boilers and made all plain sail

Anchored in Conway Bay

October 17

Ship making water Ivj in. an hour keep one pump at work ship
making y^ in. an hour with one pump working

October 18, 1857

The ship made 7 in. of water in 10 hours, without pumping

October 19

Midnight ship making Is in. of water per hour weighed and pro-
ceeded out of Conway Bay for Albemarle anchored in the east bay

No. 25J SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 113

October 20

Weighed and proceeded out of bay for James Island Anchored at
James Bay

Oct. 21

Ship making about % in- of water an hour

Oct. 22

At James Bay ship making \-> in. water an hour

Oct. 23

Proceeded out of James Bay

Oct. 24

Passed Bindloe ship under sail

The ship arrived at Panama October 31, 1857, and was repaired.

Any seaman can pictnre the anxious moments the captain spent
and the relief it was not to have to report the loss of one of His
]\Iajesty's ships.

It was only by the greatest fortnne that the schooner Academy,
of onr California Academy of Sciences Expedition to the Galapagos
Islands, did not leave her bones on the coast of Albemarle, as she
hit a reef coming to anchor there. But smooth weather and a suf-
ficient supply of ground tackle saved the day. Sunken reefs and lee
shores are not to be trifled with when depending on wind alone for
motive power.

Captain Emil Petersen, of the Norwegian bark Alexandra, had a
most unfortunate experience on his visit to the Galapagos. His ves-
sel, bound from Newcastle to Panama, with a cargo of coal was
caught in the equatorial calms and lack of provisions, and especially
water, caused the captain to yield to the demands of the crew, who
had practically mutinied, to abandon ship and take to the boats. On
May 8, 1906, the vessel was abandoned and the boats headed for the
Galapagos. According to their reckoning, on the third day the
mountains of Albemarle were sighted, distant about 25 miles. Dur-
ing the night, however, the currents took them off and next day, the
island was lost to view, and it was not until May 20, 1906, that they
made Indefatigable, landing in the vicinity of Conway Bay. Unfor-
tunately, this was miles away from the waterhole at Academy Bay,
which they did not find until months later. They sustained them-
selves, however, by drinking the blood of seals they were able to kill
and by chewing the pulp of cactus to quench their thirst.

What a misfortune it was for them that they did not land a few
miles to the south, for on May 20, 1906, the day of their landing,

114 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

our Academy expedition was becalmed close to the Indefatigable
coast five miles south of Nameless Island and probably less than ten
miles from the castaways. During their journey in search of water,
they reported seeing footprints in a small cove, the remains of a fire,
a tin can and some overturned rocks. This must certainly have ])een one
of our former landings as it was customary in places where doves
were common, as on this part of the coast of Indefatigable, to bring
a frying pan ashore and have fresh meat for lunch, together with
a can of fruit to quench our thirst. Also, it was a normal procedure
when hunting to turn stones for lizards, insects, and landshells. On
this occasion light winds and airs prevented the schooner from mak-
ing any northing and we drifted down towards Charles Island with-
out catching sight of the castaways.

Even today the Galapagos Islands have their shipwrecks as the
surrounding waters have become the fishing grounds for the Ameri-
can tuna fleet which started sending their vessels there about 1928.
Numbered among those which met destruction in the Galapagos
area are the clippers St. Veronica, which was wrecked on Albemarle
Point, the Radio, which went high and dry on a Narborough beach,
the Sun Jacket and the Dominator, both of which sank, and the Glory
of the Seas and Southern Cross, which were both destroyed by fire. It
behooves the navigator in these waters to be more than cautious, fac-
ing both unknown currents, sunken rocks, and reefs just awash.

It will probably never be known how many ships have left their
bones on these inhospitable shores.

EXPEDITIONS TO THE GALAPAGOS

Before the first organized scientific parties reached tlio islands,
they were visited by four well-known naturalists.

Hugh Cuming, on the Discoverer, whose cruise to the Galapagos
is rather obscure, visited the islands about 1829, some giving the date
as 1831-32. Cuming, a born naturalist and ardent collector of shells
and plants, was apprenticed to a sailmaker in his youth and learned
about slii])s and sails. Gloving to Chile when a young man, he felt
the urge to go farther afield on his collecting trips and he built his
own vessel, the Discoverer, and was thus enabled to reach the Galapa-
gos. Though in general his expedition cannot l)e classed as a note-
worthy one, it is so 1o the boliinicnl woi-ld, his ])lant collections having
l)een exhibited a1 1lic (ii'st meeting of tlie Zoological Society of
London in 1832.

No. 25] SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 115

In 1868, Dr. Simeon Ilabel left New York bound for the Galapagos,
spending approximately six months in the archipelago making large
collections of birds, reptiles, insects, and mollusks, wliich he brought
to Vienna to study.

Dr. Theodor Wolf, in 1875, on board the Ecuadorian vessel Vene-
cia, Captain Petersen, collected plants on Albemarle, Charles, Chat-
ham, and Indefatigable islands, l)ut all of these collections were de-
stroyed while in storage in Guayaquil.

Next came George Baur who has written extensively on the Gala-
pagos and who was a great believer in the subsidence theory. He
spent from June 10, 1891, to September 6 visiting Albemarle, Abing-
don, Bindloe, Barrington, Charles, Chatham, Duncan, Hood, Inde-
fatigable, James, Jervis, and Tower islands. Besides collecting in
the various branches of natural history, he brought back twenty-one
tortoises from Duncan and southern Albemarle.

The Hudson Bay Company's ])rig WiUiafn and Ann, Captain Henry
Hanwell, with David Douglas, a famous botanist, and Dr. John
Scouler of Glasgow on board, spent three days in January, 1825, on
James Island and made the first extensive botanical collection from
the Galapagos. Douglas, speaking of his visit, remarked, "The woods
teemed with tortoises, some weighing 400 lbs., and the shores with
turtle." Of the birds he said: "Many of the smaller kinds perched on
my hat, and even unconsciously settled upon the gun (the instrument
of their destruction^ which I carried on my shoulder."

The U.S.F.S. Albatross, Lieutenant Commander Z. L. Tanner, was
active in Galapagos waters from April 4-16, 1888 and March 28-
April 4, 1891. She visited Albemarle, Charles, Chatham. Duncan,
Hood, and James. Fifteen tortoises from Albemarle and Duncan
islands, besides collections of birds, plants, etc., were taken on the
voyage.

In the late 1880 's. Lord Walter Kothschild, of Tring. England, be-
came interested in the giant tortoises of the world and wished to se-
cure the various species found in the Galapagos. To accomplish this,
in 1897 the Webster-Harris Expedition was organized, being named
after Mr. Frank H. Webster to whom Lord Rothschikl entrusted the
organization, and Mr. C. II. Harris who led the expedition in the
field. It left San Francisco June 21, 1897, on the schooner Likt and
Mattie, Captain Linbridge, and reached the Galapagos on July 25.
After a stop of approximately eight months, the expedition returned
with sixty living tortoises.

116 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

Though a few of the visiting ships had naturalists on board, the
first organized expedition was that conducted by Professor Louis
Agassiz, of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard Uni-
versity, on the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey steamer
Hassler, Commander P. C. Johnson, which arrived at Charles Island
on June 10, 1873. Besides Professor Agassiz, two other distinguished
scientists were on board : Dr. Franz Steindachner of the Royal Zoolog-
ical Museum at Vienna, Austria, and Count Louis Francois de Pour-
tales, assistant in the U.S. Coast Survey. The stay of the Hassler was
a sliort one, only nine days, but the following notes of J. Henry Blake,
the conchologist and artist of the expedition, give an insight into the
many interesting events that occurred while there:

After passing Hood I. in tlie niglit or early moi-ning, which is the
most Southern I., we came in sight of Cliarles I. and anchored in
Post Office Bay about 12.15 noon on the 10th of June, 1872.

As we neared the Island an immense school of porpoises — there
must have been one thousand of them, for they extended a great
distance on either side of the ship — came toward the sliip in a per-
fect line until within a few hundred feet, then they turned suddenly
and went with great speed to the eastward, some of them jumping
six feet into the air. The day before this (9th) some lifty black fish
(Globicephalus) came up after us, passed under the ship and con-
tinued on their course to the N. W. Some half dozen "frigate birds"
came off to the ship and attempted to light on our topmasts, but
the sharp ends of the lightning conductors which projected above
the masts, prevented, when they began to bite at our pennant in a
very revengeful manner.

As we neared Charles I. it showed the characteristic volcanic ma-
terial of which this and all the islands are wholly composed, which
is very black as seen from the ship covered in many places with green
vegetation, conspicuous among which is a tall cactus. As we came
up with the land and passed around to Post Office Bay, the extinct
volcanoes, either in cone shape or sharp peaks and ridges where a
part of the cone is broken away, gave the land a very rough ap-
pearance.

As soon as we anchored we went ashore landing on a beautiful
beach where we pulled our seine with great success taking some
seventeen species of fish. The lines were put over on board ship which
were taut almost instantly with fish and large numbers were taken
in this way. I collected some twenty species of mollusca besides
holothurians, starfish, etc. On the beach we found quantities of red
crab which live in holes on the shore. On the rocks was another
species of same brilliant color which interested me very much in
running over the rocks and actually jumping across from one rock
to another, a distance of a foot or more.

I saw several of the large black lizards CAmblyrhyncus cristatus)
which when dry resembles very closely the black volcanic clinkers

No. 25J SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 117

strewn along the shore over which they crawl. There is considerable
vegetation in the valleys, a bnsh 5 or 6 ft. high and some trees 30
or more feet high, and mangrove near the shore. The tall straight
cactus is abundant. Birds were plentiful and the smaller ones ex-
tremely tame. Some half a dozen lighted on a cactus near where I was
sitting and were so tame I put my hand within a few inches of them.

Our ship's doctor who went with a gun brought back many large
birds such as gannets, penguins, frigate birds, flamingos, etc. On one
small island at the eastern end of Post Office Bay is a sea lion rookery
and where hundreds could be seen at any time. Two of our company
went there in our ship's little dingy and found them very plentiful
but they surrounded the boat so dangerously near the occupants did
not dare to shoot at them for fear of being capsized. Towards eve-
ning the Captain with others went in to take a look at them, and
landing, on the shore below them, the Captain shot one measuring
six or seven feet, as they rushed towards the water into which they
plunged, making a noise louder than the waves on the shore. Some
of them were of immense size and many could be killed. At night
our gill nets were set but only a few sharks were caught.

The next day I was detained aboard to care for the many speci-
mens already taken. But a fishing party brought back many fish
among them a large grouper, some of them weighing 30 lbs. They
had also in their boat several pigs and some 8 or 10 tortoises (T.
nigra) which they had bought of the natives of the island.

Some large sea turtles were seen but none were captured. They
obtained many specimens of the iguana (A. Cristatus) which attain
the length of three feet. At one place visited by the party, were
fifty or more of this species. Some 30 or 40 were brought on board,
some of which were allowed to run about deck. Two half grown seals
were brought on board. There were many birds flying about the ship
eating the fish, etc. thrown over. The pelicans attracted the most
attention as they filled their large pouches and flew away some so
full they could not raise themselves from the water, but dragged
their overfilled pouches along its surface. There were seven persons
on this Island, and they were short of provisions. They had had no
rain for months and had lost many cattle and mules because of it.
One of the natives, the Chief, signalled from the shore and our boat
brought him aboard our ship where he spent the night. We gave him
food and clothing. He said that at one time there were sixty men on
the islands which had been leased at $4000 per annum but mutiny
and other causes had greatly reduced the number.

The weather during our stay at the island was delightful. It
was somewhat warm on shore during the day, yet not what one would
expect at the equator, and the clouds which hung over the island
would descend at night hiding the tops of the mountains.

We weighed anchor on the morning of the 12th and steamed for
Albemarle Island, but finding the harbor, Iguana Cove, too insecure
and too great a sea on shore for landing, we did not stop, but put
our steamer at a slow rate of speed all night intending to reach
Tagus Cove in the morning.

118 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papi-rs

Oil our way from Charles Island, a large school of blackfish (Globi-
cephalus) came up with us and kept company about half an hour.
They were easily seen in the water and at times came within a few
feet of the ship's side. I think it was the same species seen off Juan
Fernandez, with its prominent white spot near the dorsal fin.

We also ran into an immense school of porpoises (sharp nosed)
which presented a beautiful sight as they started at a rapid rate
making a long line of foam and spray.

The western side of Albemarle as seen from our ship is low with
a regular rise to the mountains further back from the coast to the
height of 4700 feet. It is covered with vegetation wherever it can
find I'oothold. and supporting moisture. From Iguana Cove to the
S. W. part, it is almost a mass of black lava which has come from
the mountains above. Some of the lava streams were quite wide,
others narrow and some had cooled before they had half reached the
base. At the base of the mountain, where this great mass of lava
has spread out were innumerable smaller craters of different size.
We steamed along the western shore, around Narborough Island and
into Tagus Cove, which is almost in the narrows between Albemarle
and Narborough, where we anchored about 8.30 A. M. June 13th, 1872.

We went to the shore and found it no easy matter to land because
of the steep landing place. But by backing the boat in, and the men
holding it at their oars, we took our chance and jumped for the
shore. As we neared the shore we saw many large red crabs and water
iguanas (Am. Cristatus) clinging to the bank. These iguanas are
black and about three feet long, very disagreeable looking, but could
scramble about in a lively manner over the lava.

They live wholly in or near the salt water where they feed on the
algae. I never saw one inland. They even swam off to where our ship
was anchored. We had not proceeded far from the shore before we
came to the large reddish species of iguana (A. Demarlii) which is
seldom met with on the beach. As we went further inland we met
many of this species and procured 15 or 20 specimens. They would
run in a very clumsy manner and we could easily outrun them. After
running awhile they would stop and face us, looking very ferocious
but in reality stupid, which gave us a good opportunity to club them.
Some times they would jump, standing on their hind legs trying to
bite. I made a rough sketch to show color, which is in the possession
of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, as well as all specimens, etc.
They were yellow on the forward part, the rest of the body to the tip
of the tail being a reddish brown excepting a few large brick red
patches on the body. The row of spines from the back of the head to
the tail corresponded to the color of the body, the longest being on the
head. The A. Denuulli is twice as large as the black species (Cristatus)
and some will weigh 12 or 1.5 pounds. It feeds on cactus largely.

The next day, June 14, the party brought from the shore 15 more
specimens of the large iguana.

We left Tagus Cove and arrived at James Bay, James Island at
11.30 A. M. on the l.Sth. We landed and made large collections in

No. 25] SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 119

all departments. I collected many shells such as Cypria, Emargenella,
Cassldaria, Terebra. Chiton, Doris, etc. Also many radiates. The
birds seem especially tame on this island and would almost allow
me to touch Ihem with my hand. While collecting on the beach, one
bird perched on the rim of my collecting pail by my side and others
skipped about me in a very friendly manner. Many large birds were
shot including 20 flamingos some of which we had served for the
table, but the orange colored tough flesh was not much relished by
our mess. Some wild pigs were seen. I noticed three specimens of
lizards, one an Amblarynchus Demarlii which was not so large as
those seen on the other Islands. I found asleep on the shore a turtle
several feet long. This island like all the others is wholly volcanic
and about the same in vegetation.

We left James Island about 9.30 A. M. and with a strong head
wind, steamed over to Jervis Island anchoring on the north side
in 20 fathoms about 3 P. M. With our glass we could see many seals
and one large sea turtle on the beach. Boats were lowered and we
visited the shore, the first boat capturing the sea turtle which
weighed 100 pounds. I was in the second boat and as we neared the
shore seals surrounded the boat, while many more were lying about
on the land. Directly above, when we landed was an interesting
family, a mother and two small seals lying in a shallow excavation
which had been made by moving their bodies about, all of whom
did not appear to be much disturbed by our presence. (I think Mrs.
Agassiz speaks of them in her article in "Atlantic Monthly" for May
1873.) So we seated ourselves about them and studied them as much
as we pleased. The mother seal was about six feet long, light gray
or silver gray color, the hair being very dry, a rather small char-
acteristic doglike head. The two young seals, were about three feet
long and resembled much the old one, excepting the short puppy
like noses. I saw other similar families which I did not disturb.

One large seal I singled out and drove along the beach to study
its movements, in its walking or galloping which they did like other
four footed animals. It was interesting to see how gracefully they
went along the beach and how rapidly they got over the ragged vol-
canic rocks. The seals were very plentiful lying along the beach or
In the water near the shore, also in a small lagoon back from the
beach and bones of the dead. We collected considerably in the differ-
ent departments. I saw a small A. Cristatus and Dr. Steindachner
thinks he got a young specimen of the same.

There was another small species of lizard, Tropidurus which was
very numerous, of which we got several dozen. We were told by the
inhabitants of Charles Island that there were some 40 people living
on this island, but those of the party who went to find them had a
fruitless search. Some stakes in the ground near where we landed
were the only signs of the inhabitants we saw.

Leaving Jervis Island about 5 o'clock on the morning of the
17th of June we steamed with very pleasant weather for Indefatigable
Island where we arrived about 11 A. M.

120 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

Our stay at this island was shortened by the fact that our pro-
visions were getting reduced, and our collections were not very
large. Some new species of fish were taken making our list of fishes
taken while at the islands 53 species as determined at the time. We
caught many fish from the ship and party sent off "Eden Point"
caught many large grouper (Serranus) one of them weighed 23 lbs.
After taking all we wanted for specimens and the mess, about 200
lbs. were thrown overboard. I saw none of the large red iguana and
none were taken although their holes were seen. A small species
with red on the sides of the neck were taken. Saw footprints of man
and dog.

About noon, June 19, 1872, we bade good bye to the Galapagos
Islands after a very delightful sojourn of nine days, and shaped our
course for Panama. As we steamed away we could see James, Albe-
marle, Jervis and Indefatigable Islands in sight at one time besides
smaller ones two of which were quite interesting because of their
shape. The first was a solid mass with flat top, perpendicular sides
some 200 feet high, with no small rocks about its base so that the
sea was breaking against the steep walls.

The other. Daphne Island was like an inverted bowl with very
symmetrical sides and over the top edge could be seen a portion of
the crater. These two small islands were near each other looking
lonely enough with not another rock of any kind near.

As I have said our stay at the Galapagos was too brief to enable
one to make a thorough investigation in regard to any particular
animal and I am afraid I have given little that is valuable. Although
each member of our party had his specialty yet we all tried to im-
prove as much as possible in the limited time spent in the Islands.

A diligent .search was inade hy two meiuljers of tlie expedition for
the barrel "post office" at Post Office Bay, Charles Island, but it was
nowhere to be found and ])robably had fallen down and weathered
away, being replaced when another of His Majesty's ships arrived.
The Hassler party also made collections on Indefatigable, James, Jer-
vis, and Albemarle islands.

In 1898 Messrs. Edmund Heller and Eobert E. Snodgrass, re]v
resenting the Department of Zoology of Stanford University, sailed
oil the sealing schooner Jnlid E. Wholen, Captain W. P. Xoyes, for
the Galai)agos. They spent from December 10, 1898, to June 26, 1899,
visiting all Ihc l;ii'",er islands and many of the smaller ones, and
brought back large herpetological and botanical collections.

This was the last of the commercial ventures after the Calapagos
fur seal, the numbers being so depleted it was no longer considered
l)rofita])le to hiiiil lliein. The net result of this voyage was 224 skins.
Since that time, a single one of these fur seals was fotmd bv the

No. 25]

SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

121

Fig. 22. A famous oxpedition vessel was the thirty-one ton schooner Mary
Sachs which visited the Galapagos and Revillagigedos, finally leaving her bones
on Banks Island in the Arctic Ocean while on the Stefansson Expedition
in 1917.

Expedition of the California Academy of Sciences and seven or eight
more were taken by Captain Allan Hancock, owner of the Vehro III.
These last were taken to the San Diego Zoo, giving the first oppor-
tunity in recent years to study them thoroughly.

In 1901 ]\Ir. Rollo H. Beck, w^ho later headed the expedition for
the California Academy of Sciences, visited the Galapagos on the
schooner ?Iary Sachs, Captain Linbridge, and was quite successful
in his quest for the giant land tortoises. He secured twenty-three dead
and twenty-seven living specimens, all of which w^ent to enrich Lord
Rothschild's collection in his private museum at Tring. This museum i.s
now an adjunct of the British Museum of Natural History.

By far the most extensive natural history survey of the Galapagos
was that made on the expedition sent out l)y the California Academy
of Sciences. That expedition left San Francisco on June 25, 1905,
arriving at Hood Island, the southernmost island of the archipelago,
on September 24, 1905. Under the leadership of Mr. Rollo H. Beck,
the most intensive collecting was carried on for an entire year, the

122 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papkrs

Fig. 23. The schooner Academy made the longest cruise to the Galapagos
Islands of any of the expedition vessels. Depending upon the wind for power,
she had none of the advantages of the later vessels. She spent a full year in
this archipelago, taking her departure from Culpepper, the northernmost of
the islands, on September 25, 1906, and arrived in San Francisco on November
29, on the five hundred and nineteeenth day of the voyage.

little schooner Academy bidding- good-bye to the "Encliantcd Islands"
on September 25, 1906, taking departnre from Culpepper Island
at 1 :45 p.m. on the 455th day of the voyage. The expedition brought
back by far the largest collections of birds, mammals, reptiles, insects,
and plants that have ever been taken. The reptile collection included
all but one of the fifteen species of giant land tortoises known to inhal)it
the islands.'-'

The Norwegian Zoological Expedition to the (ialapagos in 1924
was conducted by Alf Wollebaek on board the cutter Monsunen. ^Many
papers concerning the various branches of natural history have been
published by ^VFeddeleser Fra Zoologiske ]Museum, Osla, and Ilakon
Nielchc, a member of the expedition, gives an account of tlie voyage
and a graphic description of the wreck of the Monsunen on Vanikoro
Island, one of the Santa Cruz Islands, in Let's See if the World Is
Round.

The British yacht St. (ieorge, in 1924, with James Ilornell as
scientific director, made extensive collections of birds, mammals, and

" Skeletal material of the extinct Charles Island tortoise was received from the late Dr. C. H.
Townsend at a later date.

No. 25J

SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

123

Fig. 24. The Oaxaea was one of the several Q boats, or mystery ships as
they were sometimes called, built to combat the submarine menace during
World War I. Upon cessation of hostilities, she was purchased by Captain
Allan Hancock who used her to carry the products of his ranch, which was
located near Mazatlan, Mexico, to the markets of the United States. It was on
this vessel that he made his first voyage to the Galapagos.

marine life. Foiii- members of the expedition have written of their
experiences on tlie cruise, their works being listed in the selected
bibliography.

No doubt William Beebe's two most interesting and entertaining
volumes : Galapagos — World's End, describing the results of his first
voyage to the "Enchanted Islands" on the 1923 Harrison Williams
(Jalapagos Expedition aboard the yacht Noma, and Ai'cturus Adven-
ture, giving an account of his second visit on the Arcturus Oceano-
graphic Expedition in 1925, started a flow of visitors.

The first of these volumes interested Captain Allan Hancock, of
Los Angeles, enough to motivate him to make a trip to the islands
in 1928 on his S.S. Oaxaea. Evidently this voyage thoroughly aroused
his interest in the "World's End," for in 1931, when his motor vessel
Velero III was commissioned, his eyes turned toward the Galapagos
once more and he became the host and benefactor to innumerable
students from various museums and universities who were eager to
follow the steps of Darwin. The years 1931-1935 saw the Velero III
in (Jalapagos waters. Under the name of the Allan Hancock Pacific
Expeditions, numerous papers on the results of these voyages have
been i)ublished by the University of Southern California.

124

CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

[Oc. Papers

Fig. 25. Captain Allan Hancock, on his exploration cruiser Velero III. was
host to many institutions and his favorite cruising ground was the Galapagos
area. With a cruising radius of 10,000 miles and ideally fitted for research in
most any field of endeavor, the Velero III greatly added to our knowledge of
the Galapagos fauna.

The Honorable CTifford Pinehot's voyage on his yacht 3Ianj Pinclrot
in 1929 resulted in the publication by the United States National ]Mu-
seum of papers on the insects, birds, and fishes taken on the voyage.

Also, in 1929, the Cornelius Crane Pacific Expedition from the
Field ^Museum of Natural History, Chicago, with Karl P. Schmidt as
head of the scientific staff, spent ten days in the islands in January,
1929. This voyage was made on the brigantine lUyria. Mr. Sidney
Shurecliffe, a member of the party, gives an account of the Galapagos
sto]i in Jungle Islands — The Illyria in the South Seas.

The Vincent Astor Expedition of 3930, on the yacht Nourmahal,
explored the interior of Indefatigable Island, climbed to an elevation
of 1,200 feet, and brought back several of the giant land tortoises.

William K. Vanderbilt, on his yacht Ara, visited the Islands in
1928. Again in 1931-1932 during his cruise around the world on the
yacht Alva, he stopped at the Galapagos. Among the specimens col-
lected on his first voyage was a new species of shark, the band-tailed
cat shark (Pristurus arae) which is described in liis book To Galapa-
gos on the Ara. The findings of the cruises of the Ara and Alva are
pul)lished in the Bulletin of tlie Vanderbilt Marine Museum at TTunt-
ingfon, Ijong Ishand, New York.

The Templeton Crocker Expedition of 1932 spent from Ai>ril 15
to June in ill tlic islands making collections of insects, fishes, shells.

No. 25 J

SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

125

Fig. 26. Templeton Crocker's yacht Zaca. 118 feet over all. was a strongly-
constructed two-masted schooner and a deep-sea vessel. Her cruise to the Ga-
lapagos was a noteworthy one, both from the standpoint of surveying and that
of natural history.

fossils, and birds, the artist Mr. Toshio Asaeda making many water
colors of fishes and taking a large series of photographs. The expedi-
tion visited thirteen of the islands: Albemarle, Bindloe, Brattle,
Charles, Chatham, Duncan, Hood, Indefatigable, James, Jervis, Nar-
borough, South Seymour, and Tower.

The Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences lists two expedi-
tions to the islands: the Dennison Crockett on the yacht Chiva in 1936,
and the following year the George Vanderbilt South Pacific Expedi-
tion on the yacht Cressida. The Trail of the Money Bird by Dillon
Ripley speaks of this voyage.

An important expedition of late years is the Swedish Deep-Sea
Expedition conducted by the noted oceanographer Dr. Hans Petter-
son on the Swedish motor schooner Alhatross in 1947-1948, under
the command of Captain N. Kraftt. Swedish scientists having devel-
oped a satisfactory apparatus for bringing up core samples from great

126 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papkrs

ocean deptlis, visited the Galapagos, taking samples from great depths
on the Galapagos plateau. They were the first to accomplish this feat.
Besides the oceanographic work, a landing party spent five days on
James Island collecting plant life for Professor Carl Skottsberg,
Swedish authority on Pacific island flora.

Sponsored by the Office of Naval Research and ]\Ir. Woodrow G.
Krieger, whose yacht Observe)- was turned over to the expedition. Dr.
Bruce AV. lialstead, of the School of Tropical and Preventive Medicine
at Loma Linda, California, conducted an expedition to Galapagos
waters from December 4, 1952, to January 28, 1953 for the purpose
of studying the poisonous and venomous fishes found in those waters.

AIR BASE

Aviation was practically in its infancy when World War I broke
out and the air fleets of the time were not considered the hazard they
are today. At that time Uncle Sam had only to keep his eye on the
Galapagos to see that no enemy occupied them; as a matter of fact,
Galapagos waters were not considered a theatre of war in that con-
flict, though Admiral von Spec, with the German Asiatic Fleet en
route to the Falkland Islands, stopped at Villamil to secure fresh
meat.

When the second war broke, however, it was an entirely different
matter, the air forces of our enemies being a power that had to be
reckoned with at once and with all possible speed. The eyes of the
United States were at once focused on the Galapagos as a base from
which to patrol the waters adjacent to the Panama Canal, and Ecua-
dor, being informed of the necessity of an air base there, gave per-
mission for its establishment.

Seymour Island was chosen as the most advantageous site and, be-
ing flat and low, did not offer the difficulties that existed on other
islands. Also, the prevailing winds being from the southeast and
favorable for landings, the planes could come in from the open ocean
with no islands of any height to pass over. As soon as the arrange-
ments with the Government of Ecuador were concluded, equipment for
llio construction of the base was landed with war-time speed, and before
long a well-established air base was in o])eration with quonset huts,
machine shops, air strips, and a plant for distilling sea water. As time
went on reci-eation lialls and a library were added, and even a ncws-
pa])ci', caUod Thr IxocJ:, was in circulation.

Fi-om the Seymour Island base, the Sixth Army Air Force patrolled
the waters adjacent lo the Galapagos and the Canal, evidently with

No. 1*5 j SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 127

success as no damage was done to that all important waterway tliroiigh-
out the conflict. On July 15, 1946, the American flag was hauled down
and shortly afterwards the base was abandoned.

The establishment of the Sixth Army Base, however, did not bring
liio first })lanes to the (xalapagos. These arrived in 1934, when, one
William Kobinson, on his yacht Svaap, was making a study of the flora
and fauna of the islands. Stricken with appendicitis while at anchor
in Tagus Cove, the situation became desperate and help had to be
found. By good fortune, the tuna clipper Santa Cruz was in the vicin-
ity and contact being made with her, a wireless message was dispatched
to Panama for help. The Navy came to the rescue and, as soon as per-
mission was given for the flight, two planes with surgeons on board
were on their way to Tagus Cove, followed by the destroyer Hah. The
miracle of wireless saved the patient's life and the first flight of planes
to the Galapagos was recorded.

TORTOISES

Tlie gigantic land tortoises from which the archipelago gets its'
name, were known as "turpin," "termpin," or "terrapin"" to the
whalers. They are, of course, the most striking objects of the Galapa-
gos fauna. Formerly inhabiting the islands by the thousands, they
without doubt made the whaling industry possible in the early days
by providing a constant supply of fresh meat, thus preventing scurvy,
the scourge of the ancient mariner. As these animals can go for
long periods without food or water, the whale ships could stow away
great numbers of them between decks and, as far as fresh meat was
concerned, there was always a plentiful supply, enabling the vessels
to stay at sea for extended cruises. New England whalers having^
been known to make voyages of two years and more.

Even though the early buccaneers made use of Galapagos tortoises
for food as early as 1684, inroads on the tortoise population really
began with the advent of the first whalers in the Pacific in the late
1700"s, and from that time on to the late 1850's, the whaling industry
caused a tremendous drain on the tortoise population. Besides the
actual records of over 13,000 tortoises, mentioned in Dr. Townsend's
report on the American Whalers' logs examined,^" an additional thou-
sand are mentioned as being taken by various wlialers and merchant
ships whose logs were not examined. Then, too, many British whalers,
whose logs were not available, also took a heavy toll. As an example

^^ Zoologka, vol. IV, no. 3, 1925.

128 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

of the number of tortoises taken by a single ship, in October 1820,
the whaler Essex of Nantucket, in command of Captain George Pol-
lard, took 300 tortoises from Hood Island and 60 from Charles.

Hunting for fur bearing animals was a common occupation in early
times, as it is now, and many hardy mariners came to the shores of
the Galapagos in quest of the fur seal. These vessels also took their
toll of tortoises.

George Little was a small boy on the ship Dromo, 600 tons and
mounting 26 guns, w^hen he sailed from Boston bound for the Galapa-
gos in quest of fur seals. On May 11, 1807, the ship anchored in Ste-
phens Bay, Chatham Island, and according to his own account which
follows, the Dromo took 170 tortoises from the vicinity of the anchor-

age:

May 11, 1801 : Our five boats were all hoisted out at daylight, and
sixty men went on shore with the intention of making two parties,
one to take a terrapin, and the other turtle. We succeeded beyond
our most sanguin expectations, having taken upwards of twenty fine
large turtle, and as many terrapin, some of which were of immense
size, weighing from fifty to three hundred pounds. We found con-
siderable difficulty in capturing the terrapin, not only on account
of their size, but also from their color, which bore exactly the same
appearance as the ground, a dark brown, and which oftentimes eluded
the vigilance of the keenest eye. We remained in this place four
days [this place refers to Stephens Bay at Chatham Island] dur-
ing which time we caught 150 turtle and succeeded in getting on
board 170 terrapin.

May 16, 1807 : Got under way and stood to sea, our intention being
to run to James Island. The wind being light, we did not make it
until the 20th, at 9 A. M. Ran close in to leeward, and anchored at
20 fathoms, the shore presenting a fine long sandy beach, on which
we landed with our boats without any difficulty.

James Island is situated in 12' south latitude, and 90° 41' West
longitude, and although not so large as Chatham, yet in its soil it
is similar in may parts of the island; but on the south side vegeta-
tion is more abundant. Here, again, we were doomed to disappoint-
ment; no water was to be found after a search of five days; but we
caught a few fine turtle and procured a quantity of brushwood. Ter-
rapin was nowhere to be found.

The terrapin is the best fresh sea stock that can be procured, be-
cause they are attended with no expense, and will live for months
without food or water. In proof of this, as soon as they were taken,
we stowed the greater part of them down in the forepeak and used
them as occasion required, the last of which was not killed until about
seven months after it was taken, and when prepared for cooking was
quite as fat as any of the former.

No. 25]

SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

129

Fig. 27. A typical wateiliole scene of 1901 on top of Villamil Mountain,
Albemarle Island, the site of probably the largest tortoise colony on the islands
until the oil hunters began operations.

Later, in December 1824, Captain Benjamin Morrell in the sealing
scliooner Wasiy took 100 tortoises off Charles Island.

During the gold rush days in California when food was somewhat
of a problem, trading schooners fitted out for voyages to South Amer-
ica and brought back cargos of onions and potatoes for the California
market and, if they were lucky in their venture, tortoises from the
Galapagos. With the high prices at the time, potatoes selling at 25
cents a pound and onions at a dollar apiece, many ship owners thought
the venture worth while. On January 12, 1850, the schooner Three
Hills left San Francisco bound for the Calapagos, thence to go to
Porta, Peru, to take on a cargo of potatoes and onions and then to
return to the Galapagos for a deckload of tortoises. Besides picking
up 225,000 pounds of potatoes and 50,000 pounds of onions at one dol-
lar each, it was planned to take on board 100 tortoises which were
to be sold at $50 each. The Three Hills, however, met the fate of
many a visitor to the Enchanted Isles. Being caught in a calm and
drifting about with the variable currents, she lost most of her pota-
toes and onions. Instead of 100 tortoises at 50 dollars each, only 20
were secured and sold at $10 each, so instead of making a net profit
of $88,125.00 on her cargo as was planned, she suffered a loss of
$3,350.00.

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CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

[Oc. Papi:rs

Some five years later, however, on May 13, 1855, a San Francisco
paper announced the arrival of the schooner Tarlton with a cargo of
580 tortoises, the largest quantity ever brought in at one time. As
late as 1902, the schooner W. S. Phelps, captain Richard Nye, arrived
at San Francisco with 37 tortoises w^hich the captain considered the
most profitable part of his cargo.

Oil hunters w^ere another source of destruction and caused the
practical extermination of the tortoise population in certain areas,
sucli as Villamil Mountain on southern Albemarle. These hunters
systematically killed off the larger tortoises as they contained the most
fat. That the remainder survive is due to the fact it no longer paid
to hunt them.

It excited interest just how the whalers hunted these giant creatures
and got them on board ship. The following sailor's epistle sent home^^
gives a very excellent account and shows that the life of a whaler
was no "bed of roses":

fSSS^SIfi

Fig. :^8. Tho oil huiittTs left this scene of devastation behind them. The
largest tortoises containing the most fat were practically exteiniinated. leaving
only the smaller ones which were not worthy of their attention.

1' Taken from Thr Friiiid. a ioiirnal devoted to seamen and marine intelliKence in g;-ncral

No. 25J SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 131

For three days the crew of our ship had been ashore on Chatham
Island and brought back with them two or three boat loads of the
most desirable animals which abound on these islands. They always
come back nearly exhausted, and their feet and hands were well torn
with briars. Clothes which were whole in the morning were rags at
night, and new shoes were all gone save possibly a small portion of
the upper leather. Hats were shocking bad, and the appearance of
all betokened hard service. I should here remark that for four days
we had been anchored off Chatham Island, one of the largest of the
Gallipagos group. Our ship lay about two miles from a sand beach
which had been selected, as affording a good place to land. At 10
A. M. we lowered a boat and pulled ashore. The surf was somewhat
heavy, breaking over a reef, but we found the landing very good.
Having hauled our boat up alongside the three boats already on
shore, our party, consisting of Captain A., Mr. M., 3rd mate, the ship-
keeper and self, started, just taking a drink of water from the boat
kegs on shore. We had provided ourselves with a few oranges and
a small flask of lime juice mixed v/ith water. The path took us
immediately into thick bushes, many of which were cotton bushes
here growing wild, which, saving in the path, were very thick. Other
bushes were covered with long sharp briars and were entwined all
around, so that to force your way through them subjected you to hav-
ing your hands and ankles torn. A small bush bore red berries,
which we tasted, but so bitter were they that our mouths were hours
recovering their natural taste. The path soon became very rough
and was covered with bits of lava, broken and very destructive from
the sharp edges to feet and shoes. Ahead of us was a lofty mountain,
and on our right hand another, barren and rough in the extreme.
The first two miles went off pretty well, Captain A. being naturally
a fast traveler, led the way, followed closely by us, Indian file. Mr.
M. took with him a tin horn, and as we passed along, would blow
a blast, hoping soon to fall in with some of our shipmates on the
road to the boats. Presently shouts answered our horn, and the chief
and second mates of our ship met us. The former had one large ter-
rapin, the second two of smaller size, slung to their backs. Behind
them was Jackson with a still larger one. They cheered us heartily.
We stopped a moment and were directed by them which path to pur-
sue, as our path forked just ahead. They looked very much fatigued,
and pointed to a still more distant mountain, which they had crossed
and found terrapin in abundance. They had with them part of a
bottle of water and did not need any assistance. Passing along half
a mile toward the mountain we met Jim Hall, a kanaka. Under a
cabbage tree lay Jim with a terrapin of large size and small one, a
heavy load for the man. The tree afforded him some shade, but
he was evidently much exhausted. Mr. M. gave him an orange,
which he ate with much satisfaction. The cabbage tree is a curious
shrub growing about 15 feet in height. The leaves are like the
prickly pear, of oval shape and about one foot in circumference, of
light green color. The trunk is, in some cases, as large as a man's
body, and when cut appears like a cabbage stalk, the outer bark

132 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papi:rs

like a pitch pine tree. There is much juice in the leaves, and they
afford excellent food for the terrapin. As a substitute for water,
nothing could by more valuable to this singular animal, for their
island home being sometimes for months without rain and no springs
of fresh water being found, nature has kindly provided them with
this tree, which answers well for food and water. The sun was
blazing down upon us, and before we were half way to the ground,
I almost regretted having started. Every moment the road grew
more rough and the sharp edges of lava made serious inroads into
the soles and sides of our shoes. We, in the course of an hour,
reached the base of the mountain for which we were steering. Rugged
indeed was the side presented to us. It rose very nearly perpen-
dicular to the height of fifteen hundred feet. Huge masses of calcined
lava seemed to form its foundation, and no doubt it had been a vol-
cano. But our time would not permit us to ascend its summit.
Just here we met two other of our kanakas. They were boys, but
each bore his terrapin. One, a very small lad of 12 years, had
one of considerable size, and he held it up to our captain with much
satisfaction. They had part of a bottle of water with them. On
questioning them as to the best on which to find terrapin, they
offered to go and show us plenty, but we declined, as they had al-
ready brought down a load before. After rounding the base of the
mountain, we concluded to divide our party, the "old man," as the
master of whale ships is always called, and myself taking the right
hand, and Mr. M. and the shipkeeper the left. We were on terra-
pin ground, and now to find them. We looked among the bushes
and rocks, but could see none. Presently we heard Mr. M. shout-
ing: "Town 0!", which is a signal when a terrapin is found. We
did not join them as they were some distance from us. After look-
ing in vain for some time for the game we were in search of, we
travelled on and reached the top of a smaller mountain. Its sides
were quite smooth, but covered with bushes. Having descended on
the other side, we reached a valley abounding with rough stones,
the passage across which was very difficult. Bushes full of thorns
we met at every step, and if you took hold of them to keep you
from slipping from the stones, your hands would be severely lac-
erated. The ground now rising, led us to a huge crater more than
a mile in circumference, and in depth several hundred feet. It
presented a singular and grand spectacle, its vast size, the sides
and bottom overgrown with trees and bushes, the rough lava,
the awful stillness around, all was grand and sublime. We were
amazed as we stood upon the edge of this mighty work of Him
whose skill formed the mountain and the seas. Our heads swam
as we looked down its awful depth, the reflection striking us.
Should we fall, hope would no longer be a virtue. From top to
bottom is was a straight line. All around was immense blocks
of lava, all black as coal. A short distance from this we came to
another crater of smaller size. It was overgrown, as the first men-
tioned, with trees and bushes, and could not have been burning
for many years. It was, if possible, still more rough, and W(> did

No. 25] SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 133

not dare look at its depth, as the top overhung the opening in
part, and one look satisfied us. On the edge of this crater we
each ate an orange. Our thirst was very great, but we could not
as yet taste our water. No terrapin appeared about, and we con-
cluded to descend into another valley of great extent. Having
passed this and ascended a rising, we saw a line of cabbage trees.
Under one we saw a very large male terrapin, far above our
ability to carry, and on looking a little farther, we found almost
under every tree one of the same kind. These huge creatures
sat unconcerned, and it was our impression that they had been
here for the last five hundred years. When distuibed, they draw
in their feet, drop tlieir lower shell on the ground and make a
hissing noise not unlike a snake. They do not offer to bite, neither
will they run. Some of them were eating cabbage leaves, which
had fallen from the trees. Here again how wonderful are the
arrangements of Him who provides food, but few facilities for ob-
taining food, neither being able to climb trees, or to kill other
animals, so slow is their motion. Under these trees, which afford
them comfortable shade, they rest, watching the fall of a leaf, and
when it falls they eat it. If one sliould not fall for a month, why,
he could remain without eating, but from paths leading from tree
to tree, no doubt they move from one to another. We now went a
little further and found two of about the right size. With two
bits of canvas, as straps, we fastened their legs and placed them
on our backs, precisely as a soldier does his knapsack, the strings
passing under our arms. The weight of each was about fifty to
sixty pounds. We, now having secured our prizes, each took a
swallow of water. At the first start we found but little difficulty,
the path being quite smooth, but soon we came to stones and
bushes, and the weight on our backs made us stagger, as we
jumped from one rock to another. We lost our way and struck into
the thickest range of bushes we had yet met with. It was now

three o'clock. The sun blazed down like what nothing like

the sun on the line our mouths were parched and each step

we took only led us from better to worse. Every few minutes we
would lose sight of each other in the bushes and have to halloo
in order not to get lost. We walked about half a mile and then

took off our load and rested again all ready sharp stones

grew more thick, and we were disheartened at losing the path.
We altered our course and hoped of meeting a better one, but none
could we find. Again we rested. I wished the terrapin were all
in Jerico, for with or without them, we had at least ten miles
to travel before we could reach the beach. Here we concluded to
eat our last two oranges, and you cannot imagine our disappoint-
ment when, on feeling for them, to find that I had lost them from
my pocket. It appears a small matter, but I can assure you that
their value to us at that time, was very, very great.

Occasionally we would get a glimpse of the ocean and our ship
in the distance, and never did I, in my boyish days, so long to
get home as I now did to be safe on board the good craft. Just

334 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

now Capt. A. slipped and fell from one rock to another below him,
bruising his knee. He recovered himself without any further in-
jury. We could find no traces of a path, and we were about to
leave our terrapin behind, but the reflection that all our shipmates
would laugh at us, induced us to press on, and if we did fail, to
try at least to fall in with some of them and let them see that we
had at least tried to do our duty. Here I should remark, that
from the time we had landed until we left in our boats to go on
board, we had been followed by a host of large flies of a bluish
green color, who, without cessation, would light upon our faces
and hands and particularly the lips, their bite was sharp, and it
was only by constant brushing that we could partially keep them
away. I have seen flies before, but never any that would for so
many miles follow a traveler. Often we passed the spots in the
sand where the terrapin deposits its eggs. They were nicely cov-
ered over and there left for the sun to complete the work of incu-
bation. In size they were a little larger than a goose egg. perfectly
round, and the shell of same like that of the fowl. How long
they remain before hatching I could not ascertain or how long
before the animal reaches maturity. We now retraced a part of
our steps and struck a path more clear of bushes and clinkers,
and found quite a good path. Here we ventured to take another
swallow of water. After another hour's travel we met the cooper,
our boat steerer, and the steward. So intent were they in pursuit
of game, that though we passed within a few feet, they did not
notice us until we "sung out" to them. They had been twice to
the boats, each time with terrapin, and told us that we had gone
in the wrong direction; that they should soon return to the boats,
for their terrapin ground was close by. The cooper gave us a
draught of water, each of his party having a full bottle with them.
We now started in good spirits and soon fell in with the chief
mate, who had brought for us a small keg of water at a cross-
road, and was waiting for us to come. He kindly offered to take
either of our terrapin for us, and we allowed him to take one from
Tjs by turns. We had about five miles to travel, and after winding
around the base of the mountain first spoken of, the path was
excellent in comparison to that which we had passed over. From
his water keg I drank freely. Never did water taste so good; lips
were parched, tongue dry and swollen. We soon reached the beach,
and with some satisfaction laid down our terrapin. They were pro-
nounced good size, and an old sailor patted me on the shoulder
and said "Well done". The ensign was flying at the mizzen peak
of oui- ship, and looking out to seaward we saw a small brig stand-
ing close to shore. As this was just in the midst of the Mexican
War, and privateers might be about, the old man gave orders to
launch the boats and go aboard. She proved to be a Columbian
schooner who visited these islands to take terrapin oil to the Span-
ish main. Our boats l)rought off that day thirty-seven terrapin,
which, with those on board, made one hundred and thirty collected

No. 25] SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 135

in four days. Some of these were of large size and were carried
by three men, some so small that one man could carry two.

It is a happy provision of nature that these animals are placed
on these islands; they furnish a most excellent recruit for ships
cruising in this part of the Pacific Ocean, and when it is remem-
bered that they may be on board for six or nine months without
food or water, it will be seen that they are almost invaluable.
Aye! says the old man, if we only had these in New York, what

a beautiful sum they would fetch and how well they would fill

the bellies of some of the hungry men at Washington and how

for four months have we lived on terrapin soup every other day

morning, noon and night sea pies made savory with good

things who would not go a whaling. The next morning we

weighed anchor and stood along to a settlement about a day's
sail from where we took our terrapin, and purchased fifty more
of large size. The residents here are about twenty in number, the
chief man is named Williams, an Englishman. His colony is com-
posed of Spaniards, and Americans and two slaves. He visited our
ship and received trade for his terrapin, cloth, etc., charging us
from 50 to 75 cts. each for them. He has two or three hundred
of them always on hand for such ships as may call on him. After
a delay of a few hours we stood away for another cruising ground.

[Signed] Camillas

PKESERVATION OF THE GALAPAGOS FAUNA

The ]:>i'obleni of conserving: the Galai^agos fauna had been promi-
nent in the minds of naturalists for many years, but it was not until
com]iaratively recently that they became thoroughly alarmed at the
conditions which existed. The reptiles most in danger, of course, are
the giant tortoises and the iguanas, particularly the land forms. Like-
wise in great danger are many species of birds, jDarticularly the cor-
morants, penguins, flamingos, and doves. It was not until such men
as Robert Moore of The American Committee for International Wild
Life; Dr. John C. Merriam, President of tlie Carnegie Institution of
AVashington; Mr. 11. \V. Parker of the British Museum of Natural
History, London, England; ^Iv. Harry S. Swarth of the California
Academy of Sciences; and many others too numerous to mention
started an active campaign that the wheels were set in motion and
the Government of Ecuador was contacted. After several months of
study, a plan was submitted, and with some modifications a]>]iroved,
and His Excellency, President Abolardo Montalvo, published the de-
cree known as "Poder Executive No. 807, Parte Tercera." This, in
short, names the birds, animals, and rej^tiles that are strictly pro-
tected, names the islands that are set aside as game preserves, and
declares that all vessels visiting the Galapagos must call first at Chat-

136

CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

Fig. 29. Monument erected at Wreck Bay, Chatham Island, the first of the
Galapagos Islands on which Darwin landed during the memorable voyage of
the Beagle.

No. 25] SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 137

ham Islaiul, tlie scat oi' the government. The American Committee for
International Wikl Life Protection issued a circular for the benefit
of American yachtsmen calling attention to the Ecuadorian laws and
also to the U. S. Tariff Act of 1930 and Customs Order T. D. 48173,
of February 20, 1936, which makes it mandatory to confiscate all
Galapagos fauna, alive or dead, taken contrarj^ to Ecuadorian law.

Mr. Wolfgang von Hagen, naturalist and explorer who has written
much concerning the Galapagos, was another one who became inten-
sively interested in the preservation of the fauna and entertained
the idea of paying tribute to Danvin on the one-hundredth anniver-
sary of his landing on the islands. To this end, he enlisted the help
of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, the Lin-
nean Society of London, and the American ^Museum of Natural His-
tory, the last organization supplying a mold from which was cast the
bronze bust placed on the pedestal at Wreck Bay, Chatham Island, the
island on which Darwin first landed.

The following inscription, written by the late Major Leonard Dar-
win, at that time Darwin's only surviving son, w^as placed thereon:

CHARLES DARWIN

Landed on the Galapagos Islands in
1835 and his studies of the distribu-
tion of ariimals and phmts thereon led
him for the first time to consider the
problem of organic evolution. Thus
was started the revolution in thought
on this subject which has since taken
place

Erected in 1935

Also, to commemorate this momentous occasion, the Government
of Ecuador issued a set of six stamps with appropriate designs, the
one Sucre having a portrait of Columbus, for whom the islands were
named, the two sucre shows an island coastal scene, the 2, 5, 10, and
20 centavos a map of the islands, an iguana, a tortoise, and the head
of Darwin respectively.

Darwin states in his diary that on September 17, 1835, he landed
on Chatham Island and although the monument marking his landing
is at Wreck Bay, he apparently set foot ashore at Stephens Bay, ac-
cording to the log of H.M.S. Beagle, as shown by the following entries :

A. M. Wednesday 16th September 1835

5 — Saw Woods (Hood) Isld to Stbd — tacked

138

CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

[Oc. Pap::rs

^^x

'■'-mt'

/"'

s^ of the jdisLPibii-

plants tnepeon ^

f: d; big] §m: it^'Urs^ Ume lo consid.

^f^c^^^wnoFt5?^ui.- evcii^ion . Thus -^^ ,

Fig. oU. Plaque ol monument erected in lionur oi Cliailes Darwin at Wreck
Bay. Chatham Island.

P. M. at 1.40 Hove to, sounded — made sail
at 2.10 trimmed

at 3.10 rounded to for soundings — made sail again standing
for the S. W. end of Chatham Island at 4.15 shortened sail
and came to with Best Bower under the north west end of
Chatham Island veered to 40 fms and furled sails
Thursday 17th Septemher 1835

No. 25J

SLEVIX: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

139

'--r

Fig. 31. The Albatross II. practically a sea-going tug, was loaned by the
United States Fish and Game Commission for a voyage to the Galapagos for
the purpose of bringing back enough tortoises for breeding purposes in order
to save the race from extinction.

A. M.

at 8.35 weighed trimmed and made sail as requisite standing
along the north side of Chatham Island at 11 shortened sail
and came to in Stephens Bay in 12 fms at anchor in Ste-
phens Bay"

A noted conservationist, the late Dr. C. II. Townsend, formerly
with the U. S. Bureau of Fisheries, made a voyage to the Galapagos
in 1928 under the auspices of the New York Zoological Society on
board the U.S.F.S. Albatross II, Captain G. A. Carlson commanding.
Tlie vessel was loaned by the Bureau of Fisheries for tlie voyage, the
express purpose of which was to gather a number of tortoises for
breeding and spot them in favorable localities in hopes that they would
reproduce, thereby helping to preserve the race in case those in their
native habitat should not be able to withstand the ravages of their
enemies. The voyage was a decided success, one hundred and eighty
tortoises being secured. These have been scattered in colonies in Flor-
ida, Louisiana, Texas, Arizona, California, Bermuda, Hawaii, and
Australia. Whether the scheme is a success still remains to l)e seen,
but it is at least an effort to help preserve these grotesque creatures
from extermination.

It is hoped by naturalists the world over that this remarkable
Galapagos fauna may be preserved for those who may follow and
walk in the footsteps of Charles Darwin, whose voyage on the Beagle
made these "Enchanted Isles" immortal.

140 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Oc. Papers

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No. 25] SLEVIN: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 149-

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