396 ARTICLE BY DR. J. A. ALLEN. 



GALAPAGOS ISLANDS. 



The Galapaf^os Islands, situated under tlie equator, about 600 miles 

 west of Ecuador, are tlie home of fur-seals, which probably belong- to 

 a differertfc species from that formerly so abundant farther south. The 

 Galapagos seals reside at the islands throughout the year; they are 

 said to breed in caves and to bring forth their young: at all seasons.. 

 The supply here appears never to have been abundant. Delano, writ- 

 ing in 1800, says: " These islands aiford some seals of both the hair 

 and fur kiud; and I think a vessel might x>roeure several thousands 

 of the two kinds, upon the Avhole of this cluster of islands, as all of 

 them afford some." (Voyages and Travels, p. 381.) They were fre- 

 quently visited later, and Captain Fanning states (Voyages, p. 410) 

 tbat in 1816 he obtained there 8,000 fur-seals and 12,000 hair seals. 

 Capt. Benjamin Morrell mentions taking a few fur-seals at the south 

 end of Albennirle Island in Novem])er, 1825 (Narrative of Four Voy- 

 ages, etc., 1832, ]). 221), and doubtless many have been taken at the 

 Galapagos since that date. Capt. Charles W. Eeed (affidavit) states 

 that in 1872 he took 3,000 fur-seals at these islands, and about as many 

 more during three subsequent voyages, between this date and 1880. 

 In 1885 Capt. Gaffney (affidavit) obtained 1,000 fur-seals there. 



ST. FELIX, ST. AMBROSE, ST. MAIIYS ISLANDS, ETC. 



Many of the small islands off the coast of Chile, from the strait of 

 Islands off coast of Magellan northward, were formerly inhabited by colo- 

 c^''iie. iiies of fur-seals. Even before the annihilation of the 



seal rookeries at Juan Fernandez and Mas-a-Fuero, these islands were 

 visited by the sealers, from some of which they reaped rich harvests. 

 Delano, writing in 1801, speaks of St. Felix and St. Ambrose islands 

 as being visited by the sealers, the greater partof tlie catch being taken 

 from St. Felix, the larger island of the group, (Voyages and Travels, 

 1).354.) In 1816 Capt. Edward Fanning took 11,01)1) fur-seal skins at 

 St. Marys. (Voyages, etc., p. III.) He also speaks of having visited 

 these islands in 181)1 and of hnding there a small tieet of American 

 sealers, live ships and a schooner. {Ibid., p. 306.) While it is im- 

 possible to give even approximate statistics of the catch, the aggregate 

 number of seals taken must have been large. 



At some of these islands small remnants of the former herds still 

 exist, as sliown by theaffnlavits ofCaj^ts. Fraidc M. Gaffuey and George 

 Fogel. The latter states that in 1870 he saw at Chillaway thousands 

 of fur-seals; in 1891, however, there were 'hio seals there worth men- 

 tioning." In December, 1891, Captain Gaff'ney saw only two fur-seals 

 at St. Felix and St. iVmbrose islands, where formerly thev were so 

 abundant. At Kees Islet (lat. 46° 45' S., long. 75^ 45' W.)\luring a 

 stay of two weeks in December, 1891, he obtained one seal. He says, 

 however, that they still breed there, but that the(!hilians go there and 

 kill all that they can obtain, as has been the case for many years at 

 other islands off the Chih^an coast. Hence there is little opportunity 

 for the recuperation of the seal herds. 



TIEERA DEL PUEGO AND THE PATAGONIAN COASTS. 



The group of islands south of Patagonia known as Terra del Fuego, 

 with which may be here included tlie Diego Ramirez group, are cele- 

 brated for the number of sea-elephants and fur-seals which they have 



