George Howland  Source  Whalesite

      Almost half a century ago, a childhood friend, the late Alf Kastdalen of Santa Cruz Island, lent me a copy of Alban Stewart's "A Botanical Survey of the Galapagos Islands." One of the things that aroused my curiosity in this book was the abbreviation "Anderss." that is often found next to plant names. I guessed correctly that it stood for Andersson, but a number of years would pass before I knew more about this Swedish botanist. Still more went by before I held his book on Galàpagos plants in my hands and could read it, thanks to the kindness of Roger Perry, who lent it to me shortly after he became Director of the Charles Darwin Research Station. Since my return to Europe, I have learned much about Professor Andersson and the voyage around the world of His Swedish Majesty's Frigate Eugenie, mainly in the botanist's letter from the voyage and the two-volume narration by Lt. Carl Johan Gustaf Skogman (1820-1907), a distinguished naval officer with roots in the Swedish nobility of Finland.

      Nils Johan Andersson (1821-1880) had taught at the University of Uppsala – where Linnaeus had studied and taught – before sailing on the Eugenie. After his return, he spent a period at the University of Lund, from where he went to the Riksmuseet in Stockholm in 1856. Andersson wrote several botanical works besides his Galàpagos flora, among them his Monographica Salicum (1867). He was also editor of the periodical "Botaniska Notiser."

      The zoological work aboard the Eugenie was the responsibility of Dr. Johan Gustaf Hjalmar Kinberg (1820-1908). Although he was the ship's physician, he also held degrees in zoology and veterinary science. The commanding officer of the frigate on this long voyage (1851-53) was Rear Admirai Christian Adolf Virgin (1797-1870), an outstanding naval officer and diplomat, who at the time held the rank of captain. Virgin came from a noble Pomeranian family established in Sweden since 1731, which gave their adopted country a number of army and naval officers of distinction.

      The frigate Eugenie sailed from Carlskrona, Sweden, on September 30, 1851, accompanied by the corvette Lagerbjelke. After a visit to Copenhagen, a storm forced the ships to seek shelter in Farsund, in the south of Norway, from where the vessels sailed to Spithead. Their next port of call was the island of Madeira, followed by Rio de Janeiro, where they anchored on the 9th of December. After stops at Montevideo and Buenos Aires, the corvette Lagerbjelke headed back for Sweden, while the Eugenie returned to Montevideo, before sailing south to Patagonia and the Straits of Magellan. They reached Valparaiso on February 22, 1852.

      In several of his letters from the voyage, Prof. Andersson praises Captain Virgin for his many good qualities, especially his kindness and his support to the scientists on the frigate, whom he gave every opportunity to collect, even providing them with boats and crew to reach places that were outside the route followed by the ship.

      After leaving Valparaiso, the frigate sailed to the Chincha Islands, outside Pisco, then visited Callao and headed for the Gulf of Guayaquil, where they arrived on March 24, 1852. On the following day, the Swedes encountered the George Howland, an American whaler that had been captured at Floreana by Manuel Briones and his gang, who had been serving an eight-year sentence in the Galàpagos because of their depredations in the Daule region, above Guayaquil. The Swedes boarded the whaler, but the escaped convicts had already abandoned the ship, seeing their only escape route blocked by the frigate. The captured ship was sailed the next day up the Guayas River, its capture being duly reported to the respective officials and the vessel turned over to the American consul. It was at this time that Prof. Andersson and several Swedish officers witnessed the execution of Briones and some members of his gang, who had been captured by Ecuadorian soldiers in the Gulf.

      The Eugenie continued to Panama, then a Colombian province, sailing later to the Pearl Islands for water and firewood. San Francisco was to be their next port of call, but Captain Virgin changed his plans to give the scientists an opportunity to collect specimens in the Galàpagos, since both Andersson and Kinberg were familiar with Darwin' s collections from the Islands and were hoping to visit them. Andersson expresses great admiration for Charles Darwin.

      The men on the Eugenie sighted San Cristàbal at sunset on April 28th, but the unfavorable wind conditions left them drifting between that island and Santa Cruz. A boat was lowered to take the scientists ashore, while the frigate managed to reach anchorage at the entrance to Stephens Bay (Puerto Grande), thanks to a weak breeze that helped them in early afternoon. On San Cristàbal, the visitors met with the half-dozen inhabitants who were still on the island, and some of the officers were invited to a meal of tortoise meat, which was eaten with bread and fine French wine brought ashore from the ship. No visit was made to the interior.

      The next stop was Black Beach, where the frigate anchored on May 14th. Hunting and collecting was done during the following three days. Then, the ship set course for Santiago. East of Pinzén, a boat was lowered and a crew provided to take the scientists ashore on Santa Cruz, where a few hours were spent at Whale Bay, where the Swedes saw some men running inland at the sight of their

boat. They found a woman in one of the shacks at the foot of the hill by the beach, but could not communicate with her, as they spoke no Spanish.

      After a visit to the southeastern part of Isabela, the scientists rejoined the frigate in James Bay in the afternoon of the 19th. During his visit to Whale Bay, Prof. Andersson became the first botanist known to have collected plants on Santa Cruz. In his letter from this part of the voyage, he mentions that the vegetation was similar to that seen elsewhere, giving the impression that he was not much impressed by the place, but he complains in his flora that he had too little time to spend there, having no doubt realized later that he had collected a disproportionately high number of new plants.

      Unfavorable wind conditions induced Captain Virgin to head for Hawaii for supplies. The frigate remained in Honolulu from June 21st to July 3rd, finally heading for San Francisco and a long sojourn there. On the voyage across the Pacific, the Eugenie stopped once more at Ho nolulu, later visiting Tahiti and other Polynesian islands before arriving at Port Jackson (Sydney) on October 21st and spending ten days there.

      Several stops were made in Micronesia, then the frigate headed for Whampoa (Huangpu) on the Canton (Pearl) River, Hong Kong, Manila, then south to Singapore, Batavia (Jakarta), Keeling, Mauritius, and Capetown. Once back to the Atlantic, stops were made at Santa Helena, Plymouth, and Cherbourg.

Andersson, N. J. 1854. Optegnelse paa en reise rundt Jorden, 1851-1853. Cappelen, Christiana (Norwegian translation of Prof. Andersson's letter from the voyage of the frigate Eugenie).

Skogman, C. 1854. Fregatten Eugenies Resa Omkring Jorden, àren 1851-1853. Two volumes, Adolf Bonnier, Stockholm.

J. P. Lundh, Oslo, Norway.

J. P. Lundh.
"Voyage of the Frigate Eugenie,"
      Noticias De Galápgos
No. 59 (April 1998).
    pp.7-8.

George Howland  Source  Whalesite