Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-03-04
ODD GROUP, The GALAPAGOS
Noted for Giant Tortoises, a Sea Post
office and King Pat.
HUMAN BEINGS sHUE THEM
Some Facts About the Islands the
United states WouId Lease,
where they Are ard Their
PecuIinrittes.

portance I'm the protection Of the Panama
canal the United States government ac-
cording to a dispatch from Washington, has
untered into negotiations with Ecuador for
a lease Of the Galapagos islands in the
Pacific off the coast Of South America
Should this report be true and the negotia-
lions carried through. Uncle Sam would
some into the possession, for one thing, Of
he only giant tortoises known TO exist
For years the Galapagos have been noted
Tor these strange creatures and for little
else except possibly the curious sea post
office establishment there 100 years ago or
more by whalers. Callers at the sea post
office after depositing mail there have had
q chance to disport themselves by taking
= ride on the back OF a giant tortoise,
pleasant way 70 break the monotony Of a
long voyage.
The tortoises Of the Galapagos are said
10 be the last survivors OF the reptilian
age, 20 which belonged the huge dinosaurs
and other creatures OF which only fossle
remain According to visitors TO the islands
these tortoises have sometimes reached
length Of seven or eight feet. The tor
toises have a very shiny neck and cruel
looking head and are OF q dull, earthly
color. II is said 70 be comparatively easy
TO mount the back Of one Of them and
with the aid Of a stick to keep your bal
ance you can enjoy novel ride The tor
toises have made deep paths all over the
islands. They do not appear to be dying
off.
UnIucISy Thirteen.
Perhaps because there are thirteen little
islands in the Galapagos group they have
been unIucky for some folks who have been
marooned on them. They lie 100 miles
southwest Of Eucador and about 1900 miles
from Panama, occupying relatively the
same position in respect to the traffic ap-
preaching the canal from South America
rs Hawaii does to trade from the north.
The largest island is about twice the
gize OF Staten island. From time to time
attempts have been made to COLOMBO them
but without other results than to add to
their curious fauna and flora, so that to-
day in addition to the tortoises some Of
them are overrun with wild vegetables and
also with wild horses, wild dogs and wild
pigs. No native population was ever dis
covered in the group, but hundred years
ego there was a real wild man there.
The wild man OF the Galapagos was a
red headed Irishman and his name was
Patrick Watkins. King Patrick he called
himself and for several years he ruled
the island and made slaves of some sailor
men who landed there. He is said to have
been responsible for the first sea postof
flee established there, that being the way
devised by one sea captain to warn others
of the presence on the islands Of King
Patrick.
King of the Islands.
The Irish king OF the Galapagos was a
deserter from an English whaler which
made a landing for water and fresh vege-
tables at Charles island. one Of the group.
The place where he landed and where
he issued forth a wild looking object to
terrorize saiormen has since been called
Pats Passage. Pat built a hut in a valley
about two acres in extent back in the
interior. II was the only place susceptible
of culture in his kingdom. Here he cult
waited potatoes in great abundance and
sold them to the ships that touched his
shores.
Dressed in rags. his red hair and beard
tangled and filled with briars, his appear
Rnce was that of the primitive man and so
wild as TO cause those who visited his
domlnions never to forget It. His one
desire, according to some chroniclers of
his reign, was for brandy, for which he
would exchange his vegetables. He had
an old musket and some bullets and lived
alone in state among the tortoises.
Finally he decided to become a slave
owner. One day an American whaler put
In for water and lett a negro in charge of
the ships boat drawn upon the beach.
King Pat sailed forth from a defile, cap
tured the negro and started to drag him
20 his hut in the valley. He hadn't gone
far before the negro turned the tables and
captured King Pat, the result being that
he was taken aboard ship for trial.
An English vessel happened to come I'm
just then and Pats sentence was that he
should be f!oRged first on the American
vessel and then on the English vessel
After this sentence had been executed the
Irish king of the Galapagos was taken on
shore, handcuffed and left in that fashion
while his captors ruthlessly tore up his
garden, destroyed his hut and sailed away
Chronicles OF King Pat.
How long Pat remained in that plight
was never known, but II seems that In some
way he eventually freed himself rebuilt
his hut, cultivated his garden again and
set out anew upon his plans. He watched
different landing parties and captured in
all four sailors, making them his slaves.
He became the most absolute of tyrants,
according 10 the accounts OF his reign.
At length he conceived a plan Of massa-
creing some boats crew, capturing the
vessel and sailing away as a pirate. He
was surprised In the act of wrecking some
boats on the beach and barely escaped.
The result Of this was that the skipper of
the vessel against which he had designs
put a letter in box nailed TO a tree tell
ing the story. This was away back in 1893
and was the beginning of the famous shin
postoffice. Pat finally did manage to Sc
cure a boat and sailed away in it. leaving
in his hut letter sfterward found. AS
preserved in the chronicles of Pat this let
ter read;
Il have often demanded Of ship cap
tains TO sell me a small boat in which 1
might escape from this place. but they
have always refused. Today when the
opportunity presented itself for me to get
boat I took advantage OF It. For long
time I have struggled through hard labor
and pain 10 accumulate a small fortune
which might permit me TO live in COM
Portable circumstances. but have several
times been robbed and maltreated, the last
time by an English captain, who not only
inflicted upon me a frightful punishment