1056 The American Naturalist. [December, 
thousands of seamen employed in the whale-fishing in those seas, 
both Americans and Englishmen. I have known whale-ships to 
take from six to nine hundred of the smallest size of these tortoises 
on board when about leaving the islands for their cruising grounds ; 
thus providing themselves with provisions for six or eight months, 
and securing the men against the scurvy. I have had these 
animals on board my own vessels from five to six months without 
their once taking food or water ; and on killing them I have found 
more than a quart of sweet fresh water in the resceptacle which 
nature has furnished them for that purpose, while their flesh was 
in as good condition as when I first took them on board. They 
have been known to live on board of some of our whale-ships for 
fourteen months under similar circumstances, without any ap- 
parent diminution of health or weight." On his first visit Morrell 
took one hundred tortoises on board. On his second visit, Feb. 
10-12, a terrible eruption on Narborough Island was observed. 
Two hundred and ninety-four tortoises, averaging about twenty- 
five pounds each, were taken on board. Morrell does not state 
from which special island the tortoises were taken. During his 
third visit, Oct. 27 to Nov. 10, 1825, Indefatigable Island was 
visited, and one hundred and eighty-seven tortoises secured. 
Up to this time the Galapagos Islands had not been inhabited. 
Only an Irishman, called Patrick Watkins, lived for some time 
in 1809 on Charles Island. Captain Porter has given an account 
of this first resident. But it was not until 1832 that Charles 
Island was really colonized. T, N. Reynolds, the secretary of 
Commodore John Downes, who visited the Galapagos Islands on 
the United States frigate Potomac in September, 1833, has given 
the history of this colonization. J. Vilamil, a native of Louisiana, 
of the United States, but for many years a resident of Guayaquil, 
had this enterprise in view as long ago as the year 1 8 1 1 . Politi- 
cal circumstances prevented his fulfilling his wish. In 183 1 he 
petitioned the Government of Ecuador, and a charter in due form 
was granted, conceding the possession of the islands and authorizing 
the establishment of a colony. " In January, 1832, Colonel Her- 
nandez, with only twelve colonists, was despatched to take formal 
possession of Charles Island, and in April and June, settlers of 
both sexes followed the first. Vilamil in person, accompanied by 
