^g4 C. SKOTTSBERG 



Introduction. 



In his book "Crusoniana" THOMAS SUTCLIFFE indicates 1572 as the year 

 when the islands were discovered by the Spanish navigator JUAN FERNANDEZ. 

 Generally 1563 is quoted, but in cases also 1574. Be this as it may, man's first 

 contact with the virgin soil had its consequences, and when, some time after the 

 discovery, Fernandez settled on Masatierra, he brought goats. A number of food- 

 plants must have been introduced by him and undoubtedly also some weeds. His 

 stay on the island is said to have been short, but about 1580 he was succeeded 

 by a small Jesuit colony which was abandoned in 1596. Cumberland Bay was, I 

 presume, the scene of these as well as of most later events. 



In 1616 Masatierra was visited by the navigators SciioUTEN and Le Maire, 

 who found that not only goats but also pigs were plentiful (Johow 2 p. 8). 

 L'Heremite, who spent several days in Cumberland Bay with his squadron in 

 1624, mentions the abundance of sandalwood, the utility of certain trees for ship- 

 building purposes, the occurrence of quince, etc. Forty years later Father DiEGO 

 DE ROSALES planned to colonize the island and collected information on some 

 of its products, e. g. the sandalwood, the chonta palm etc.; evidently these trees 

 had already been cut and the timber exported, at least the sandalwood. The 

 following period, aptly named the era of the buccaneers, must have meant a 

 serious encroach on the forests within easy reach of Cumberland Bay. On re- 

 peated occasions sailors were left behind and managed to make a living without 

 much help. In 1686, several members of Captain Davies's crew settled on the 

 island. They were taken away by Captain STRONG, who also visited Masafuera, 

 where goats were found to be plentiful. Follow the adventures of Dampier's 

 men, among them ALEXANDER SELKIRK, whose life on Masatierra has been 

 described so often that we need not dwell upon it here, all the more as his 

 destructive influence on the vegetation had little significance. It should be men- 

 tioned that in the meantime the Spaniards had introduced dogs on both islands 

 in order to exterminate the goats, which were a source of fresh meat welcome 

 to the British buccaneers. Even if this attempt did not meet with anything like 

 a complete success, their number was greatly reduced at least on Masatierra, as 

 testified by Anson's men. 



George Anson's narrative, edited and published by his chaplain, RiCHARD 

 Walter, is accompanied by maps and illustrations and gives valuable information 

 on the status of the vegetation in 1740. Maps and views show forests down to 

 the sea on the north side of the eastern half of Masatierra. PI. XVII represents a 

 view of Cumberland Bay and surroundings; there is little forest left right round 

 the bay on the lower slopes, but both W. and E. of the harbour there are trees 

 all over the place — the west side of Cerro Centinela, nowadays completely tree- 

 less, is presented as well wooded. The section W. of Juanango is indicated as 

 barren land; most likely it has never been wooded. On the large map of Masa- 

 tierra and Santa Clara (called Goat Island), also the latter is wooded, but it is 

 hard to believe that there were other trees than scattered specimens o'i Dendro- 

 seris litoralis and Rea pruinata, which must have been exterminated by the goats 



