18th century map of the Galapagos Islands

Although the title claims that buccaneer Ambrose Cowley discovered the islands in 1684, the Spanish had known about the Galapagos group since 1535, naming them after the tortoises that laid their eggs on the beaches. In 1832 colonization began, and in 1835 the visit of Charles Darwin made them famous. His 'Origin of Species' was based on the fauna of these isolated islands. A new map added to the second edition of John Harris' 'Complete Collection of Voyages and Travels'.