What Happened On Galápagos?

The Truth of the Galápagos Affair
As Told By A Lady from Cologne

Margret Walbroel Wittmer

Table of Contents
Part I (previous page)		Part II (this page)
The End of the World?	Harry in Mortal Danger	Burro is Fired At	The Hunt for Non-Existent Animals
Within Reach of Floreana	Grand Hotel Floreana	Christmas on Floreana	Dr. Ritter's Writings
Arrival and Visit to Dr. Ritter	Childbirth in the Wilderness	Velero III Drops Anchor	Dr. Ritter Ailing
The March into the Interior	The Baroness Comes to See Rolf	Peaceful Island	Sea Water Drinkable?
Breaking Ground	War On Floreana	Ritter's Dental Practice	No Trace of Lorenz and Nuggerud
Herta Dies	A Beautiful Row	Plundering	Dr. Ritter's Chickens Die
Sunday with the Colonists	Lean Days	Five Months Without Rain	Meat Poisoning
The Tragedy of the Galápagos Begins	Mail from Germany	Lorenz Moves In	The Death
Notes in my Diary: October 15, 1932	A Short Legal Procedure	Our Wish Becomes Reality	Lorenz and Nuggerud Also Dead
Pleasant Guests, New Friendships	The Galápagos Treasure	The Sensation	Floreana in Pictures
New Troubles and Some Anxiety	Philippson Returns	Before Lorenz' Departure	Suspicion
NOTES: [n] = Page number in typed mansucript. Black border = Sections written by Heinz Wittmer.		Stealing in the Bay	Tragic Balance
		Dryness and Dampness	The Investigation
		Out of Heinz Wittmers' Diary	The “Thumb Sucker”
		More Irritating Happenings	Vacation Trip to Germany
		The Trunk	The Crossing
		Three Persons Missing	The Tragedy of Marchena

Burro is Fired At

Rolf makes his first attempt to walk without help and must have a lot of attention. Things are made pleasanter for us in another way too—Lump chases away our troublesome fence guests—mostly donkeys—all alone.

Heinz tries again to reach the east side of the island by land but has to give it up—the undergrowth is too thick. He hopes to find a good well there and start a “branch business.”

More beasts try to force their way into our garden; this time it's donkeys. Going outside Heinz sees a gray animal on the terrace steps, fires and drops him. He then goes along the fence looking for more trespassers but finds none, only hearing them screaming in the bush outside. The entire fence is intact but the garden door, which Heinz had carefully closed himself, is open. It could only have been opened by human hands. Had someone opened the gate and let the donkey in? Unfortunately, it was Dr. Ritter's Burro—dead. A terrible prank to play on us.

Dr. Ritter's Burro is dead—shot by Heinz. Frau Koerwin was so fond of the animal that we haven't the heart to tell her. We bury the carcass and decide to say nothing to Dr. Ritter either since we know that even if we were able to prove how it happened there would still be [53] an awful row and endless trouble thereafter.

Two days later Lorenz appears and asks us not to shoot at any tame donkeys because several of theirs have gotten away. In the night, “someone” is supposed to have let them loose. Lorenz, fixed by Heinz gaze, is unable to hold his eyes steady and drops them to the ground. The lie is proved in another way a little later when Heinz finds all the tame donkeys on the meadow nearby—tied.

Usually the wild donkeys stay near the coast, but when things dry up, as at present, they head straight for our place. It would have been possible to replace Burro with another donkey, but one has no idea how difficult it is to train one of these wild beasts—even a young one—to be a useful animal. Turning a wild donkey into a tame, useful one is a long, hard job.

Next, our bean bushes and papaya trees are plundered. Animals would have left tracks so they were eliminated. Heinz watches and several days later finds human footprints in the soft, moist ground. And one morning at 5 o'clock, I get a glimpse of Philippson slipping sidewards in the bushes. We haven't proof, however, to do anything. Anyway, a written complaint to Chatham would likely be treated as a trifle and probably not even answered. The best will be to watch and wait.

Christmas on Floreana

Christmas again. Our consciences bothered us over that thing with Burro and we'd like to do something to make the Ritters happy. So Heinz and Harry pack our turtles in a large sack and take them to the Ritters as a Christmas present. Harry carries other gifts too—a painting, six eggs for hatching and some Christmas things I baked out of yucca; all this from me. Though there was little of the Christmas spirit in evidence at the Ritters, still they gave us gifts in return [54] — a can of milk, one of pineapple and some bananas. On their return, Heinz and Harry find our living room decorated with flowers in honor of the day. In lieu of a Christmas tree we light a huge fire in the fireplace and place three lighted candles on the mantelpiece to heighten the effect. So do we celebrate Christmas, as all Germans do no matter where they are unless they have tossed all the little joys of life overboard as the Ritters seem to have done.

Rolf, our sturdy little son, receives a home-made wagon from his father and some other small gifts; Harry, fruits and a new pair of trousers; Heinz an ashtray—made by Harry and I out of a mixture of sand and clay and for myself the best gift of all: a deep joy in all these simple presents. It is a real Christmas, though the weather is more like that of Easter time for winter, without which Christmas never seems quite complete, is unknown in this part of the world.

On the second day of the Christmas holidays, Heinz and Harry have another try at solving the “east problem”—remaining away from 8 in the morning until 5 P.M. They came closer but had tried too close to the coast. Anyway, Heinz is satisfied that he has found the right altitude level through which he will be able to force a way the next time they try.

Rolf's first birthday, the 2nd of January, 1934, is another day to celebrate. He absolutely refuses to have anything to do with a little pair of play trousers I made for him—stripping them off as soon as they are on, much preferring to run about naked. These days he is wide awake at 5 in the morning and then it's good-by to peace and quiet. If Rolf keeps on growing as he has, he will develop into a sturdy little soldier.

With our dignified “country house” we have adopted new and more fitting habits. A “gong,” made by hanging up a shovel, now is used to summon Heinz and Harry to their meals, the sound of it penetrating to [55] the farthest corner of our property. In this way I have a “line” on them at all times and they can be quickly reached without much loud calling and tiresome searching.

On New Year's day, after I had summoned him to his meal by the gong, Harry brings news of the newcomers. It seems they have visitors for he heard loud laughter and saw three strange men there. But no one comes to us.

Dr. Ritter tells us later that it was party of Americans on a trip around the world in a sailboat. The had visited him in Friedo, then to Madam and on the return dropped in at Friedo again.

The Ritters seem to know something of the business of the accidentally shot Burro. Frau Koerwin hints around but Heinz is simply unable to come out with the truth, especially since it's only too obvious from the way she talks about the poor animal that there would be angry outbursts at both himself, the unintentional perpetrator of the deed, as well as against the person really responsible—the identity of whom it would be difficult to prove. It's unpleasant, but under the circumstances it is better to keep quiet as long as possible.

Velero III Drops Anchor

The third day in January * brings a welcome break in the monotony of our island life. Mr. Hancock arrives with schedule-like punctuality and the Velero III lays again in Black Beach Bay. After visiting Dr. Ritter in Friedo, they come to us. We get along better with each other this time, for I can now speak a little English. The men with Mr. Hancock speak that droll German of the Americans, to which one quickly becomes accustomed. Mr. Hancock says he has a package for us and we jump to the conclusion it is from relatives of ours, but our mistake is soon evident and we deeply appreciate the adroit, casual [56] manner in which he goes about making us a present of a lot of clothes for our little Rolf. It all makes us very happy.

* Velero III records show it was at Socorro Island on January 3, and visited Floreana January 17-19 and 27-30.—JW.

The visit is a long one and we spend a couple of hours in pleasant conversation, and I am able to bring up the thing lying closest to Heinz' heart—the exploration of the east side of the island. Mr. Hancock immediately offers us the use of his motor boat so that it can be tried by the water route.

The next morning Heinz goes along to the yacht, to which he had previously been invited, after which he, professor Dr. Schmitt, Dr. Ritter and a steersman leave in the motor boat. After a thorough investigation, they conclude that the east side is absolutely lacking in water—a thing he has suspected from the miserable dryness of that section. Anyway, Heinz has had his wish. Heinz says, and Dr. Ritter and Dr. Schmitt agree, that the American explorer, Beebe, was either mistaken or erred in writing it down—instead of the east side, he must have meant the west side. The spot where the Irishman, Patrick (Watkins) lived in Beebe's book “Galápagos, the End of the World” must have been where Dr. Ritter's Friedo is today.

Our intention of settling on the east side is now given up. Thanks to the friendliness of Captain Hancock, Heinz was able to go into the whole question thoroughly, the men making a trip completely around the island and enabling Heinz to bring back home much new information about our island. The entire east and south sides have steep banks; flat beaches are to be found only on the west and north sides.

As the motor boat entered Black Beach Bay again, the Velero III had disappeared—likely left for Post Office Bay and so the boat heads for there at once. The surmise was correct, the two boats meeting and the yacht leaving then for Black Beach Bay where Dore Koerwin is awaiting the men. Madam is set ashore first, laden with gifts. [57] Then Heinz, also richly remembered with gifts of groceries, petroleum and tools. We are sorry that we are able to give only a small tea sieve in silver, made by my father, in return but Mr. Hancock valued the little remembrance for the good wishes that it symbolized and not for its intrinsic value.

There is a comical scene on the beach. Frau Koerwin is seated on a stone playing with her young donkey; Madam is busy searching for mussels yet both manage to watch closely in order to find out what everyone received. Meanwhile, Lorenz and Philippson load a donkey and Madam joins them. Shortly before midnight Heinz arrives home with part of his load, having left the biggest part of it on the beach where, next day, Heinz and Harry pick it up and bring it to Dr. Ritters from where they intend to pick it up later, a little at a time.

Mr. Hancock was the very soul of tact through it all—handing out the things to each person from the island himself so that there would be no cause for dissension later.

It is rather unpleasant to be always talking about gifts but one has to live the life of an islander in order to get rid of most of that sensitiveness in regard to that word “gift.”

Dr. Ritter, as the first on the island and because of his acquaintance with Captain Hancock naturally has priority rights in all these things. The two men know and appreciate one another. It was natural, when Dr. Ritter lived alone on the island, that Captain Hancock should inquire into his needs and wishes and promise to bring him this or that on his next trip here. Surely, no one can find fault with that. On his next trip, in 1933, after hearing of new settlers on the island, it was natural for him to think that they would need the same things that Dr. Ritter did. He believed he would be acting in the interest of harmony here on the island by giving something to everyone in whose life and fate he had an interest. His manner of giving presents makes [58] it easier, too, to accept things from him. And everything would have been fine had not envy, jealousy and greed been so evident at times.

Peaceful Island

My association with Dr. Ritter's feminine companion—always harping on her “education”—is not what it might be. Often I, a simple housewife, who knows only housekeeping and how to keep things in order, have been a target for her remarks although, or perhaps because, Dr. Ritter often holds my housekeeping up as an example to her. Heinz is too quiet and thoughtful a man to wish anything but peace; all he wants is the chance to work and further the plans he has made. As for myself, I try to confine myself to my duties as a housewife and mother and to avoid contacts with outsiders as much as possible.

On Sunday, January 30th*, 1934, leaving Heinz [Harry?] to watch over little Rolf, now able to walk by himself, Heinz and I go to Black Beach Bay to bathe and catch Langusten [lobsters]. To our astonishment, we see the Velero III, that we had believed long gone, heading for the island. Captain Hancock had taken definite leave of us all before and we wonder what special reason now brings him back. We go by Dr. Ritter's to tell him the news but find they he has already sighted the ship and we find that our visit is plainly unwelcome, both of them being almost rude to us. The doctor then goes with us toward the beach to meet Mr. Hancock, Frau Koerwin to follow after. On the way Dr. Ritter becomes noticeably rude again, running ahead, mumbling to himself etc. and we finally let him go. He sees then that he has been behaving badly and allows us to overtake him. We likely have not been sighted from the Velero III as yet and Dr. Ritter lets us know that in his opinion we are superfluous. We don't wait to be told a second time but part company with him at once, while he goes on alone. On the way back we bump into a group of men: Captain Hancock, Professor Schmitt and others. They had taken [59] a short cut, easy with their swift motor boat, and shortly we are all together—even Frau Koerwin joining us. Tired from the walk, she suggests that we take a short rest, to which Dr. Ritter snaps out a reply in English that sets her to crying. I draw her away from the angry Dr. Ritter and she tells me her troubles, begging me to visit here oftener, for the doctor becomes more and more disagreeable and malicious—she has to stand for terrible things.

Sunday was actually January 28th this year.—JW.

It is painful to have such a scene with visitors here.

In company with several men from the ship, among them Dr. Schmitt, we go on to our house where Dr. Schmitt wishes to take some indoor pictures. It bids fair to become a pleasure-filled Sunday, there being seven men to entertain and on top of it all comes an unexpected guest. There is a “Hello” from the garden gate and a Dane comes toward us who arrived in a 21 ton sailboat now lying in Post Office Bay, and, as luck would have it, he brings mail from the homeland.

We now learn why Captain Hancock turned back. He is expecting the yacht of a friend from Norway, the “Stella Polaris,” once owned by the Russian Czar. The Dane is also waiting for this yacht from his neighboring country and so suddenly there are “big doings” on Floreana.

Ritter's Dental Practice

Those in the wigwam have noticed something. Lorenz comes to us with the information that a bull has fallen from the cliff above into their garden and now lies, with a broken neck, a few yards from the house. He wants to know if we would like to have it. Very nice of them but we refuse, with thanks.

They don't take the trouble to remove the bull but slowly leave it lying where it perished. The smell from the rotting flesh is noticeable for two whole weeks.

On February 28, 1934, the new Major arrives, making his tour of the islands in the San Cristóbal. The best part of the visit is that the new Major brings more mail for us and, leaving shortly, leaves us free to enjoy our papers and letters undisturbed. Sleep is impossible when such a heap of mail arrives. Heinz, sitting in front of a pile of newspapers, I curled up on a corner of the sofa—that is always a pleasant picture. All this by the light of the flickering fire in the fireplace and now, our newest achievement, a petroleum lamp. Just like in grandmother's time.

The next day is also taken up looking through our mail. Little Rolf goes walking in the garden alone and when we search for him he is usually to be found in front of the chicken coop—he can watch the chickens by the hour.

Dr. Schmitt had noticed that we lack things in which we can keep food and wishes to leave some tin cans and metal boxes on the beach for us before he leaves. Picking the things up, Heinz finds a large milk can beside the other cans and also some work clothes for Harry. We'll have to put off our thanks for these things until next year.

Seeing Dr. Ritter on the way home, Heinz learns that the “Stella Polaris” arrived the previous day and that after laying to for a few hours all three ships sailed away. The Ritters had been invited on board the Stella Polaris. The passengers were rich Americans taking a South Seas trip, all of whom had heard of Dr. Ritter and were very pleased to be able to meet the man in person.

So did Dr. Ritter enjoy a very pleasant experience and we are happy that things happened as they did for him. After the visit to the Norwegian ship, the Ritters were invited by Captain Hancock to dinner on board the Velero III.

Captain Hancock pleases Dr. Ritter greatly by presenting him with a complete set of dental instruments and needs and he is now equipped so that he can make Frau Koerwin a new set of teeth.

[61] Plundering

The sailboat “Ines” brings three Spaniards who intended to settle on Floreana but change their minds in favor of Isabela and sail away again. A few days later, two Italians arrive in a small sailboat—a stopover on a trip around the world. While the Spaniards were visiting Madam, it seems some of the sailors from the Ines plundered Madam's supply house in Post Office Bay. She is able to force them to give up part of what was taken; it goes without saying that sparks must have flown.

Five Months Without Rain

I don't believe that a person in Germany could ever realize how desolate and miserable a place can look after five months without rain. In the beginning of March, things look horrible here. Dead animals lie around everywhere and from the rotting carcasses clouds of flies arise when one nears them. The water in our well is retreating and if things continue as they are, it may go entirely dry. Madam is already running short of water—her little stream by the orange trees furnishing but little water now.

Every morning we find our fence has been torn by the animals. At night we must watch; during the day repair the damage—time lost that we could use in more profitable ways.

In the night of March 1st, Heinz confronts a bull coming toward the house. In the darkness, the shot goes astray and the bull, with a roar of rage, rushes to attack. The beast manages to get within a couple of steps of the house before Heinz succeeds in finishing him with a couple of shots.

As a preventive measure we have placed some barrels filled with water in front of our fence for thirsty animals outside. We must [62] fill them several times each day and it's hard work carrying the water but there is a satisfaction in helping the poor animals outside.

One night a female donkey, a real wild creature, strays into the garden and goes to work on all our green things. Heinz is sound asleep after a hard day's work and fails to hear Lump's barking so taking a stick and a lasso I go after her alone. She backs away and stumbles and I am able to toss the loop over her head, binding the other end around a tree nearby. Then I gathered some green stuff and give her some water. In the morning I find that she has been wounded in the head, and wash the wound out, finding her full of fly maggots. I nurse the animal back to health and let her go again but she has become so used to me that she appears regularly for her food and drink, even taking green things from little Rolf, who had been an absorbed witness to the nursing activities, without coming too near him [her]. Not only the animals need care these days; our garden needs it too and we must spend three hours every day watering it—the ground drinking in the water as though it were nothing but anyway our plants keep on living.

The solution is not to get tired. At Friedo, says Harry on returning from there, the dryness is worse that it is up here.

Heinz had a narrow escape from the sudden attack of a wild steer—making a dangerous leap into a rock crevice to get out of the way. It worked, but now after several days he has a badly ulcerated tooth and must go around with a swollen cheek. I told Frau Koerwin about it when it began but she said the doctor could do nothing so we'll have to do what we can ourselves.

Lorenz Moves In

Lorenz comes to us with an unpleasant bit of news. He has received so many terrible beatings from Philippson that he has run away and begs us to let him stay with us for awhile. The poor, weak man, [63] without a will of his own, extremely nervous, and on top of all this, consumptive, arouses our deepest sympathy but Heinz says we will only increase the tension here on the island if we grant him his request. Anyway, Heinz has no intention of inviting trouble because of Lorenz and tells him that Dr. Ritter had once offered to take him in and advises him to go to Friedo. Should the doctor refuse, then naturally our house stands open to him.

Lorenz is in terrible shape—Philippson had given him such a beating with his fists that he lay for a while unconscious.

Lorenz tries at Friedo and meets with a refusal; they will supply him with enough bananas to live on but will not take him into the house. So we have no choice; Lorenz moves in with us. It is only to be a short stay—he plans to take the San Cristóbal (due within the next few days) to Guayaquil and from there to make his way back to Germany, his homeland.

Oddly enough, Madam seems to treat the whole thing as a trifle. It's an extremely uncomfortable state of affairs but we know that a mortal enmity exists between Philippson and Lorenz.

Madam again attempts to better things between us and makes Heinz a present of a fine wild donkey that she caught. It is a strong animal and it would pay to tame it but when Heinz tries to water it, it bites him so badly in the arm that he is disabled for several days. Finally it becomes so unmanageable that we have to shoot it.

None of us feel right with Lorenz living with us and long for the arrival of the San Cristóbal that is to take the poor sick fellow away from here.

Our Wish Becomes Reality

March 27, 1934. Lorenz, wishing to be useful, has gone with Heinz to fetch some wood. Madam appears at the gate and asks for Lorenz, saying [64] that some friends of hers have arrived to take them along to the South Seas and that Lorenz is to take care of the house and the animals until he hears from her.

I can hardly believe my ears! The thing that we have longed for is to become a reality.

It seems too good to be true and I tell myself that it was only talk. Lorenz, returning after several hours with Heinz, is also skeptical and calmly eats his dinner before going to the wigwam. The house was empty.

To convince himself that they are really gone, Lorenz goes down to Post Office Bay where all he finds is footprints in the sand—proof that some people had been there recently.

It is true! Frau Bousquet and her friend Philippson have left the island!

Lorenz moves back into the wigwam and on the next day goes with me to Dr. Ritter's to tell him what has happened and see if there are any new developments. The Ritters, surprised by the news, go into a dance of joy. The doctor advises Lorenz to sell everything salable and leave the island with the proceeds. Next Sunday, he and Frau Koerwin will make it a point to come up and look over the place.

April 5, 1934. The longed-for rain comes at last. On Sunday the Ritters arrive and Heinz goes along with them to the wigwam. Dr. Ritter opens the various chests and boxes and examines the contents just as though they were his own property. He seems to be firmly convinced that Madam is gone for good this time.

Lorenz begins to sell at once, the whole thing going like a bargaining between two Galilean Jews—when Lorenz asks ten sucres, the doctor bids one. The supplies in Post Office Bay are also examined. Here someone had broken in again and according to Lorenz much is missing, including some iron piping.

[65] Madam had started wrecking the house in the bay herself, even having wood from the floor and roof removed. This Lorenz had hid in the bushes and later carried part of it up to the wigwam.

We acquire several things ourselves; among others a donkey and some corrugated tin.

Lorenz says that it was Philippson who stole our collapsible boat and took it around to the lagoon, but he doesn't know the exact spot and Heinz is unable to find it by searching. Lorenz also clears up the affair of Dr. Ritter's Burro. Philippson had driven the animal into our garden purposely, hoping we would take it for a wild donkey and shoot it. Lorenz has to admit that he helped in the shameful deed but says he was forced into it, beatings and starvation being the usual punishment for refusing to do as he was told.

During the next week, Lorenz further liquidates his holdings—selling part to Dr. Ritter and part to us. He is kept busy for a long time bringing the things the doctor bought down to Friedo.

The Sensation

I feel it necessary, with the publishing of our diaries and letters, to use this space for an insertion and to point out some journalistic errors for which certain “sensation reporters” should feel very guilty. In the newspapers of several lands, we later read with astonishment of how the “Baroness” had marooned two men of her “court” on a waterless island—perhaps having brought them there by force. Though Frau Bousquet may have been involved in the terrible death by thirst of the two persons on Marchena and has been named in connection with the tragedy, it nevertheless is a fact that neither she nor Philippson could have determined the events that led to the tragic end. Lorenz just hadn't been able to stand it any longer; his eternal quarrels with Philippson, in which he, as the weaker, always got the worst of it, [66] finally drove him out of the wigwam into our house. He was a deathly sick man, hardly able to stand life in the tropics—to say nothing of the mishandlings of Philippson. Seeing no other way out, he finally scraped up enough courage to leave the other two and came to us in the hope of having a little rest until the next ship at least. He then intended to leave Floreana forever. That, actually, is the “sensation” of Galápagos, out of which, in the world, something quite different was made.

The life that settlers, far from their homeland, must lead; the hard fight for existence; the daily exertion necessary for the work to be done in the garden and in the house; the struggle with an often merciless Nature; the many months of drought and then many months of rain—that is all so serious that the usual trifles that come up between people forced to live near one another cease to have a meaning. And when several American reporters were able to exaggerate these ordinary happenings between people into the main events in our lives here on Floreana, it only goes to show how ignorant these information manufacturers were of the real facts and how little responsible they felt for their journalistic activities. The unprejudiced reader would have soon found that our for himself.

But what of those who greedily swallow all such sensational items and in their enthusiasm decide that they too would like a taste of this “splendid,” “free” life—that God knows is anything but free—and resolve to have a try at themselves? We decided we could do nothing else, in order to discourage others from lighthearted decisions to leave the homeland, but describe what we went through in all its stark reality. Perhaps, with the publication of all this, we will be able to reach many a person unduly impressed by the “sensational news” of last year, and, by giving him the truth, influence him into turning back.

[67] As for Madam, she was anything but the woman the reporters painted her. She came from Paris, from a world ruled by style and the saxophone; a woman from the metropolitan world who chose the lonely, primitive life only because of her love for the unusual. Not finding all she had promised herself here on Floreana made Frau Bousquet unhappy, nervous and moody. Such spiritual conditions, under which her companions also suffered, force their way into the sphere of consciousness and cause more or less mischief. That is the only explanation there is for the “Galápagos Drama.”

And now, back to our notes!

Before Lorenz' Departure

On the 21st of April we hear many ship signals and thinking they come from Black Beach Bay, Lorenz, accompanied by Harry, goes down there in the hope that his chance had come to leave the island. Shortly after they leave several men arrive at our place and Mr. Howell, the owner of the yacht “Thalia,” introduces himself. The ship lays in Post Office Bay so Lorenz has gone on a wild goose chase. The new arrivals express the intention of visiting Madam and are quite surprised to learn that she is gone. Since it is almost five o'clock, Heinz offers to guide the men as far as the rode since they could easily miss it in the dark and on the way they stumble into Harry and Lorenz, the latter saying that he'd like to go on board the ship. Conversation is difficult, the newcomers speaking only English, but Mr. Howell says there is a German cook on board who will be able to interpret Lorenz' wishes.

Unfortunately, nothing comes of Lorenz' plans to leave, for the Thalia is leaving next morning and he hasn't his things together, but he is consoled by the news that the San Cristóbal is now at Isabela and is coming here next.

So Lorenz decides to wait. Mr. Howell gives Heinz a package for [68] Dr. Ritter since he hasn't time to visit Friedo himself. Also Heinz receives a packet of seeds, handed over with the remark “Half for you—half for Dr. Ritter.”

Next day Lorenz brings the things down to Dr. Ritter and there is the devil to pay. “Why didn't Howell come himself?” He certainly must have been hindered or he would have; besides there are some packages missing that the doctor had been expecting for a long time. In other words, the doctor's visitors [were] side-tracked and his packages held back. So Heinz has to go down to straighten things out. Dore Koerwin becomes abusive and refuses to believe that half of the seeds were meant for us even though Lorenz is able to vouch for the truth of the statement. However, later, with the news that more things are awaiting him in Guayaquil, the doctor calms down and everything is straightened out again. Dr. Ritter had been more or less reasonable through it all; not so with Frau Koerwin, however, and Heinz is so angry that he swears he will have nothing to do with her from now on—regardless; even if it makes things worse between the doctor and ourselves. This [is] the same with Lorenz—he and Frau Koerwin used to be good friends; now because of the latest affair, they've become enemies. A sad state of affairs—only Germans on the island and all enemies.

May is here and our life runs smoothly for awhile. Lorenz, a sick man, is unable to do much but does what he can. He manages, with a great deal of effort, to move his things to Post Office Bay, so that he won't be left behind the next time a ship comes for just a short stay.

Stealing in the Bay

Heinz succeeds in killing a couple of pigs on the pampa, in which activity Lump proves himself very adept. Because of the long dry spell, the orange crop is very poor and now, after the fruit has been shook down, the trees are beginning to bloom for the second time. The black bugs too, become feverishly active—from the distance of 300 feet one can hear the humming as from a distant organ.

Heinz has to plant another half hectare of corn, that which he planted in January having almost entirely dried up. Lorenz goes again to the bay and finds that a ship has been there without our knowing it. He finds tracks by his trunks out of which things have been stolen and figures he'd better move down to the bay so as to be near his property. Twice a week he will come up to us to fetch water and food.

Heinz' second birthday on Floreana is celebrated, Harry, Rolf and Lorenz each presenting him with a cake. It is a great occasion for Harry and Lorenz, both of whom are very partial to such things. Heinz and I are a bit inclined to be melancholy, but one soon gets rid of such feelings.

Meanwhile, Lorenz has sold everything from the wigwam that was usable to either Dr. Ritter or to us.

Lorenz is already sick of living alone in the bay, asking to live with us again. Neither the San Cristóbal nor any other ship had put in an appearance while he was there. He intends to go down every other day and see if a ship is there but a look at his shoes tells us that he can't do it much longer in such footgear. Carelessly, he had left his trunks in the bay again and naturally, the next time he goes down a ship has been there and some more things stolen. It is a terrible blow to the poor fellow and he hides the rest of his property in the bushes.

Tuxedo, dress suit, dress shirts—all stolen. When one looks at the sick Lorenz, one is inclined to doubt that he'll ever wear such things again though he is very hopeful and doesn't seem to realize how sick he really is. Fever spots on his cheeks, coughing spells that leave him spent—in short, a deathly sick man.

Lorenz, now 33 years old, had led an active life. He met Frau Bousquet in Paris and the two, with his money, had first had a commission [70] business and later a regular business together, in the course of events hiring Philippson, a salesman. Wearying of Paris, she decides to go live on the Galápagos Islands and adding the Ecuadorian, Valdivieso to her party, leaves for Guayaquil on the Dutch steamer “Bodegraven.”

We are unable to feel anything but the deepest sympathy for Lorenz. Hours on end he sits in one spot, crying softly to himself, saying not a word and making a heart-rending picture. Outside of these spells of despondency, however, he always behaves very well with us and not infrequently has he guarded the house when Heinz and I were gone. He can even be trusted with Rolf. Lorenz tells us some interesting things that throw some light on the deep enmity between Madam and Dr. Ritter. Both, says Lorenz, wrote for American newspapers and each believed the other to be the author of the sensational news items about Floreana—building, thereby, a veritable well of envy and hate.

Dryness and Dampness

The animals gradually recover from the dry spell. It is horrible to learn how many perished; on the beach one often sees three or four carcasses together. The pigs migrated to another part of the island where they seem to have fared better. The noisy mating season of the donkeys is here again. . . . So passes the years—between drought and rainy and also many beautiful days.

In the bay Heinz tries to construct a raft out of some old oil tanks but is unsuccessful, rust having so eaten the tanks that they soon leak. However, he catches several langusten and a sea eel, but the latter escapes again. “Arnold,” our cat, has gone on a rampage and eaten three of Lorenz' pigeons, leaving only the deaf [?] ones alive and these refuse to pair with the wild doves. Several wild doves that I put in the cage I had to quickly remove to keep the others from killing them.

[71] Where the droves of sparrows come from that make our lives miserable, is a puzzle to us. They are of different sizes and range in color from light brown to deepest black. Many of the [?] birds are so trusting that they sit on our heads and shoulders while we work in the garden and allow us to take them in our hands. Naturally, this is highly pleasing to our cat who is beginning to look very well fed.

On June 1st, 1934, with the new moon, rain sets in again and it looks as though the garúa time is here once more. Heinz had made a smoke oven out of corrugated tin and we no longer need to smoke things in the house—a big relief for me. It makes it easier, too, to keep the flies away.

Again the moths attack the half-ripe oranges and leave them rotting on the trees.

On June 25, 1934, Heinz and Lorenz go down to the lagoon to make a thorough search for the boat but are unsuccessful. If only Heinz had a boat! In the lagoon they find some goats which prove to be hard to catch. The way to the lagoon is long—it would be so much easier to reach in a boat. Following the coast, both men were well burned by the sun; they lose their way and finally reach our level again in the cold drizzle rain. These climate changes are remarkable things—within a few hours one can go from raw, autumn dampness into tropical heat.

* * * * *

Heinz was depressed by our recent experiences with human cussedness—even the official investigation having gone against the grain. So he has turned the job of writing in our diary over to me again.

Gradually we become calmer, life here slipping back into a quiet, uneventful groove. Our three hectares or so of land take a lot of care, but when we look out over it we become filled with a just pride and can truthfully say we have accomplished considerable in something like two and a half years. Out of poor material we have built two houses—houses that astonish our visitors and can proudly refer to our garden as a veritable “hacienda.”

Vacation Trip to Germany

Our recent experiences weigh heavily on our minds, so one day Heinz suggests that I take a trip back to Germany to find out what the people back home know of things. When we first came here we had reserved a sum of money with which to pay our fare back home in case our plan was a failure, so now, since there remains no question as to the success of our undertaking, the money is to be used for a vacation trip for myself and little Rolf—the “thumb-sucker” or “Prince Charles” as he has been called by American newspapers after another name for the island; that is, Charles Island. Until all the recent unpleasantness, we hadn't given a thought to such a possibility and now, with the idea taking on a more and more tangible form, a warm feeling of happiness comes over me . . . I am to see Germany, a new Germany perhaps this time, once again. Busily we set about making preparations.

The San Cristóbal is not due until March but perhaps another ship will arrive before that time. Every few days we go down to the beach, to look for ships and take a look at Friedo. Yes, some ships did come—twice—but only to plunder Friedo. On the 17th of February, after a trip to the bay, we had hardly rested a quarter of an hour when we hear a “Hello” outside at the fence.

The old Major of Chatham is here to take leave of us and introduce his successor, the two having arrived on the San Cristóbal. And who else do they bring with them but a German painter, Siegfried Neumann of Munich, coming to visit us after a trip clear across Ecuador. He is a likable person—full of fun. In the first few minutes everything is arranged—yes, Herr Neumann will take me under his protection as far as Guayaquil and help me further after we get there. We begin to pack excitedly and at the same time give the new Major an account of [the] recent double burglary in Friedo. The men are entertained and Herr Neumann is outside making some sketches. In the afternoon we are ready to leave for the ship and Harry, who must remain in the house, starts to cry and it is hard for me too, now that the actual parting is at hand.

The Crossing

The walk down to the bay went so fast that I can hardly remember it at all. Rolf, on his father's arm was happy, all unconscious of course, of what was happening. Heinz stayed with us on the San Cristóbal for an hour; then he, too, had to go ashore—it was hard for him as well. He didn't stay at the beach until the ship's departure but taking the donkey by the bridle at once began the return trip, often turning to look back.

The San Cristóbal finally left, the two Majors, Herr Neumann and the captain talking and trying to comfort me. I fell asleep late and the sea being calm didn't awaken until we were nearing Chatham. Here the [94] San Cristóbal lay to for three days. To my surprise and joy I found the Aldebaran, the ship of Herr Taylor, in the harbor. He had heard I was on board and was searching for me for he was about to leave for Panama and would be glad to take me along, an offer I was forced to refuse because he had no women on board and he as well as I knew that it would be unwise to defy the conventions here in South America, even though the offer was well meant. Then again, Herr Neumann had undertaken to help me in Guayaquil and so our plans remained as they were in the beginning. Naturally, the recent happenings on Floreana were the main topics of conversation.

During the six day voyage from Chatham to Guayaquil, [he] was a considerate, helpful friend, always full of jokes and always full of fun—doing his best to make me forget my almost constant seasickness. Rolf stood it better.

The first class passengers from Chatham numbered [?]; [?] and one civilian: twelve soldiers and the crew of eleven. On deck were three pigs, three goats, a horse, a cow, ten turtles, a “Tölpel” (a sea bird), chickens and ducks. The pigs and goats kept coming into the cabins to drink the washing water. We were terribly, almost forcibly crowded together but we were sailing towards home—that was the important thing.

Evenings I sat in the captain's cabin listening to the interesting accounts of the painter's extensive travels, he having been in Japan and having traveled over almost the whole of South America. He now intends to become acquainted with certain parts of Ecuador and then go back to Germany so that we must part company in Guayaquil. The captain, Señor Boisset, a native Chilean in his late sixties, was a fine man and untiring in his efforts to keep the obtrusive, native “gentlemen” away from me, who, seemingly, had never before seen a blonde woman. Señor Boisset promised to send me frequent reports about my people on Floreana [95] while I am in Germany.

Shortly before the ship arrived in Guayaquil, Herr Neumann sent a wireless message ahead, reserving a hotel room for me and so when we landed I was met by an employee of the hotel and a member of the harbor police. Herr Neumann went on to another hotel, returning in a few hours to take me around to the offices of the various steamship lines. After much discussion, we decided that the “Cerigo,” leaving March 1st, 1935 for Cristóbal, Panama would be the best bet for it would enable me to catch the “San Francisco.” The Cerigo belongs to the Hamburg-American Line.

Herr Neumann absolutely sacrificed himself to help me and yet it so happened that at a time when I needed him badly I was unable to reach him.

I was sitting, with Rolf on my lap, in my hotel room when there was a knock at my door, and at my summons a man dressed in white came in and requested that I prepare myself for a police investigation, the men being due in about twenty minutes. Now what was the matter? We had given the investigating committee on Floreana all the information we possessed. I tried to reach Herr Neumann but without success—he had gone out to paint. The man in white returned again and said I was to come to the consulate and there was nothing I could do but take little Rolf and go along. At the consulate I was taken before a tribunal of six men and was told that the judge had done me a great honor in coming to the consulate to take charge of the Floreana case. From 5 until 8 there were questionings, writings and translations. Rolf began to cry and was given a ruler to play with and by the time we finished the poor little fellow had reduced it to splinters. All questions that had been answered on Floreana and of which they had a report, were repeated and toward the end they questioned me regarding the relations that existed between Frau Dore Koerwin and Dr. Ritter. But at last this [96] too was finished and Herr Neumann, who had been searching everywhere for me, expressed his deep regret that he hadn't been on hand to help me through it all.

The Cerigo put out to sea on March 1st, 1935. In the morning at the hotel I read an article in the Guayaquil newspaper that gave me an appetite for leaving. I read, verbatim: “Wittmer's feminine companion is returning again to Germany, following Frau Koerwin. She says she is coming back but we don't believe it. More than likely Wittmer will soon follow her and again will Floreana be an untenanted island and the mystery of Dr. Ritter and Frau Bousquet remain forever unsolved.”

It all just goes to show how wrong one can be—it was just the revenge of ignored “sensation” reporters. I had a similar experience in Panama with a woman reporter, who was so friendly and anxious to find a few “nice words” to say about me in the largest newspaper in Panama that she didn't get anything straight.

As for the rest, I soon felt as much at home on the San Francisco as on the Cerigo. Germany people—German customs. What did a six weeks voyage across the Atlantic matter under these conditions?

We pass the Azores, continue on to Le Havre, then Rotterdam, a short detour to London and at last reach Hamburg.

The Tragedy of Marchena

So now I am sitting here at home reading a communications sent by the Foreign Office in Berlin last February 3rd, while I was still on Floreana:

Foreign Office, Berlin—January 25, 1935. The customs officials in San Diego (U.S.A.), sent to the German Consulate in Los Angeles, with a note dated the 11th of December, a large number of letters and documents seemingly belonging to a German citizen named Alfred Lorenz—letters, etc. taken with him on his [97] last voyage from the Galápagos island, Floreana, and which had been forwarded to San Diego by the captain of the American steamship “Santa Amaro.”

Among those papers were found the enclosed letters and writings, addressed to you.

Signed: Minister of State—Foreign Office

What really happened is best told by the report of the American fishermen.

The Santa Amaro had dropped anchor at Marchena Island, a waterless island at the extreme northern point of the Galápagos archipelago. Manuel Rodriguez and four sailors had gone ashore and suddenly had seen what looked to be a bundle of rags lying on the ground before them. On closer examination, the bundle of rags turned out to be a human corpse and shaken by the horrible sight, they investigated further and 50 feet away they found another similar bundle—a second corpse, the long blonde hair of which led them to believe it was the body of a woman. Both corpses had become mummified by the sun.

From the ship the news was broadcast that the bodies found were those of a man and a woman and from the mail found near the corpses (the letters I gave Lorenz to mail), the world came to the conclusion that the dead woman was myself.

The news reached Captain Hancock on the 17th of November, 1934, just as he was about to leave for Galápagos in the Velero III and he too, figured that the dead ones must be Heinz and I. He was very worried over the fate of the children.

Captain Hancock at last received word that we were still alive and the question of the identity of the two who died there on Marchena still remained open.

So Captain Hancock set out for Marchena Island, photographed the two bodies, and brought back some specimens of hair so that the identity [98] of the two bodies was finally established beyond a shadow of a doubt as being those of Lorenz and Nuggerud.

What a tragic journey these letters now lying before me have made! I can still see Lorenz saying “Goodbye” to us that day on Floreana—putting our letters in his pocket, and then, swinging his little bundle of smoked meat, depart after saying to us in a high voice, full of joy because of the trip before him:

“Until September, then I'll be back.”

Poor boy. Did you take a secret with you in death?

Part I

The End