The first-known resident of Galapagos was Patrick Watkins, an Irishman marooned (either forcefully or perhaps voluntarily) on Floreana from around 1807 to 1809.
Henry Nicholls is a GCT Ambassador and editor of 'Galapagos Matters' magazine. He works as a secondary school teacher but has also spent many years as a freelance science journalist specialising in evolutionary biology, the environment, conservation and history of science. He has written two books about Galapagos, 'Lonesome George: The Life and Loves of a Conservation Icon' and 'The Galapagos: A Natural History'.
According to the American naval Captain David Porter who passed through the Islands in 1813, Watkins had built himself “a miserable hut” about a mile inland from what is now Puerto Velazco Ibarra, where he cultivated pumpkins and potatoes to be traded with passing whalers in exchange for rum or hard cash. The appearance of this hermit, wrote Porter, “was the most dreadful that can be imagined”, with ragged clothes that left him half-naked, with burnt skin, matted red beard and hair, “and so wild and savage in his manner” that “he struck every one with horror.”
Armed with rum, Watkins appears to have intoxicated five unsuspecting sailors and hidden them until their ships had sailed. He treated them as slaves and became “the most absolute of tyrants”, eventually stealing a small skiff from a passing vessel and escaping the enchanted Floreana for the mainland, accompanied by his gang of men.
Only Watkins reached Guayaquil, “the rest who sailed with him having perished for want of water”. Or perhaps he forced them overboard to reduce competition for the scarce resource. The harsh and unpredictable environment in Galapagos frequently poses extraordinary stresses on those species that have colonised it. As the tale of Patrick Watkins demonstrates, humans are no exception.
Henry Nicholls’ fantastic book gives a brilliant overview of the history of the Enchanted Isles, from their volcanic origin all the way through to the arrival and impact of humans. This is a must-read, whether you are a first time visitor or an old Galapagos hand.
There are many ways to support our vision for a sustainable Galapagos: why not adopt an animal, become a GCT member or donate today?
