266 



SOUTH AMP]RICA— THE ANDES REGIONS. 



despatched for the purpose by the Viceroy of Peru in 1793. Even this summary 

 exploration was followed by no attempt at colonisation, and during the War of 

 Independence, Argentine pirates were able to establish themselves in the archi- 

 pelago to mask their operations against the Spanish navy. 



The republic of Ecuador delayed occupation of the islands till 1832, since which 

 time they have been visited by few men of science ; one of whom, however, was 



Fig. 103. — Galapagos Aechipelaqo. 

 Scale 1 : 3,600,000. 



62 MDes. 



Charles Darwin, who explored the group in 1836. Thanks to his researches, the 

 Galapagos have acquired a definite and important place in biological studies. 



The fifteen ishinds and forty islets and reefs comprising the group have 

 frequently changed name, nor is it possible to identify all of the designations 

 adopted by Torres and the various navigators since the sixteenth century. To 

 these, others have recently been added by the Ecuadorean Government ; never- 

 theless, most even of the Spanish maps have retained the English names entered 

 during the last half-century on the official charts of the British Admiralty. 



