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Show 266 ISLAND LIFE. (PART JT. I. n-egular shape wb i.l e the four next m· 1· mpor t a nee-Chatham, Indefatigable, 'James, and Narborough Islands, are each about twenty-five or thirty miles long, and of a rounded or elongate form. The whole are entirely volcanic, and in the western islands there are numerous acti·v e vo 1c anoes. Unlike the other MAP OF THE GALAPAGOS AND ADJACENT COASTS OF SOUTH AMERICA. The light tint shows where the sea is less than 1,000 fathoms deep. The figures show the depth in fathoms. groups of islands we have been considering, these are situated in a comparatively calm sea, where storms are of rare occurrence and even strong winds almost unknown. They are traversed by ocean currents which are strong and constant, flowing towards OHAP. XIll.] THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS. 267 the north-west from the coast of Peru; and these physical conditions have had a powerful influence on the animal and vegetable forms by which the islands are now inhabited. The ~a~apagos have also, during three centuries, been frequently VISited by Europeans, and were long a favourite resort of buccaneers and traders, who found an ample supply of food in MAP OF THE GALAPA,OOS. The light tint shows a depth of less than 1,000 fathoms. The figures show the depth in fathoms. the large tortoises which abound there; and to these visits we may perhaps trace the introduction of some animals whose presence it is otherwise difficult to account for. The vegetation is generally scanty, but still amply sufficient for the support of a considerable amount of animal life, as shown by the cattle, |
