A GEOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF THE JUAN FERNANDEZ ISLANDS I 73 



ers, cultivated their corn-fields and gardens and reared a new crop of sturdy 

 fishermen. 



The damaging influence of von Rodt's reign on the native flora and fauna 

 must not be overrated. It is true that the maqui spread, but also that the goats 

 decreased in number. The population remained very small, and the cultivated 

 soil did not extend much. In comparison with recent disasters the encroach during 

 the last decades of the 19th century was of little significance, except, perhaps, with 

 regard to the chonta palm, one of Nature's great treasures. And BuRGER tells 

 us (p. Ill) that when von Rodt failed to "develop" the islands, he became a 

 protector of their nature. 



In 1877 the population of Masatierra counted 64 persons, 29 of whom were 

 male, children not included (demographic figures taken from Guzman p. 37), in 

 1878 74 (22), in 1879 141 (51), and in 1880 147 (55) — the rise probably due to the 

 arrival of labourers contracted by the tenant. Then it began to sink: 82 (24) in 

 1885, 61 (23) in 1886. In 1885 the German merchant Alexander Ermel visited 

 Masatierra as partaker in a tourist excursion. As many before and after him he 

 fell for the beauty of the scenery and he returned with fantastic ideas of the value 

 of the natural resources, which nobody had understood to utilize properly.^ Con- 

 sequently he did not hold a very high opinion of von Rodt. Even barren Santa 

 Clara became fertile in Ermel's eyes. For Masafuera only no great future was in 

 store; it was too inaccessible. "Daher wird Masafuera fiir die Zukunft allein die 

 traurige Bestimmung haben, als ein in Wolken eingehiillter, schauriger Felsen 

 dazustehen, dessen Nahe die Seefahrer soviel als moglich vermeiden werden" 

 (p. 115). 



In spite of the very short duration of his visit (3 days), Ermel judged him- 

 self competent to discuss the economic importance of the islands for Chile. Masa- 

 tierra might well serve as a health-resort. Its principal industry would be fishing. 

 Here he was, as the future showed, right, and the same is true when he argues that 

 the seals needed protection. In former days the seals had been extremely abund- 

 ant, not only the fur seal, but also the sea elephant. L'Heremite saw thousands 

 of sea lions and seals (Burney III p. 18). Walter reports on the "sea lions", which 

 occurred in large herds, but PI. XIX shows that his "sea lions" were sea elephants. 

 UUoa tells us (p. 287) that "the beaches and rocks were everywhere crowded 

 with seals in such abundance that no free space was left where one could walk; 

 they did not leave a passage between them".^ Captain ROGERS (1709) says 

 that a compact string of seals lined the beach of Cumberland Bay (Guzman 

 p. 215). The main slaughter of the fur seal commenced in 1797; it is reported that 

 in 1801 a single ship carried one million skins to the London market. If this be 



1 These illusions have been very tough. In an American newspaper (Meridian Star, Miss.) 

 the following paragraph appeared on March i, 1928: "Crusoe island fruitful. — Juan Fernandez 

 Island, on which Alexander Selkirk, the reputed original of Robinson Crusoe, lived for four 

 years, is one of the most fruitful spots in South America, according to a recent survey. Every 

 known plant seems to grow there. One Frenchman who was shipwrecked there 40 years ago 

 refuses to leave." No comments needed, but the climax is priceless. 



2 Translated from Spanish. ... 



