The horrible History of Galapagos Tortoise Mass Slaughter

The Galapagos Islands were appropriately named the isles of the tortoises. From the time of their discovery by the Spaniards early in the sixteenth century, down to the middle of the nineteenth century, their outstanding feature was the presence of great numbers of land tortoises of gigantic size. No other product of the lonely archipelago was of more interest to visitors. The early navigators quickly discovered the high edible value of the big, hard-shelled "galapagos" which they described in extravagant terms. All mariners adventuring that way during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries loaded their decks with tortoises and proclaimed their excellence in all seas where ships sailed. Then came the fleets of whalers of the nineteenth century, British and American, to gather the rich cetacean harvest of the Pacific. The abundant and long-celebrated tortoises of the islands offered a fresh food supply. The horrible story of the mass slaughter of the giant tortoises caused by whalers is told in this ebook.