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One of a kind real glossy photo. Sullivan's Bay, James Island, Galapagos. Postally used from Pago Pago Samoa June 1st 1935 sent to Boston Mass. manuscript message: "Pago Pago Samoa, 8000 miles of pleasant sailing. How would you like to join us? I need a crew! Strout - Aukland N.Z." The postcard was posted just about 100 years exact to the date when Charles Darwin arrived in Galapagos 1835, and 400 years exact when it was first discovered in 1535.  Because there was no post offices on Galapagos, the sender sent it from the nearest island. It would be interesting to find out who the person in the postcard is. Possibly an ecologist or geologist. The sender was probably part of an expedition team traveling the seas. An extremely rare picture postcard from a part of the world just discovered. WGAL1    

Santiago, often called James, is the Galapagos fourth biggest island, with an area 226 square miles. It is more elongated than some of the other islands, about 22 miles in a northeast-southwest direction and 14.5 miles wide. The highest point is 2,974 feet. It is also called San Salvador or Chavez sure to confuse an unsuspecting tourist! The English named it James after King James II. The Ecuadorians called it Santiago (from Spanish for Saint James) in 1832 after their official independence from Spain.
 
 
1835 - Charles Darwin in Galapagos - On September 15, 1835, Captain Robert Fitz Roy arrive to the Galapagos on the "Beagle" as part of a trip around the world with the young naturalist Charles Darwin. They first visited Chatham Island (San Cristobal), and later Charles Island (Floreana). They sailed between Narborough and disembarked on Santiago. While the officials on board the Beagle drew a map of the islands, Charles Darwin studied and collected samples of the flora and fauna. His observation of the diversity of species on the islands would be the basis for the later elaboration of the Theory of Evolution. The Galapagos would be seen from under a different light, a virtual laboratory of evolution.
 
1936 - The First Airplanes - William Robinson lived on his yacht in Tagus Cove, studying the flora and fauna of the islands, when he suffered a serious attack of appendicitis and his situation quickly became desperate. Luckily, the tuna clipper the "Santa Cruz" was nearby and contacted the Marines based in the Panama Canal by radio. Once permission was granted, two hydroplanes took off for the islands, followed by the destroyer "Hale". They arrived on time to save his life, and flights to the islands were installed. The first airplane flight, which carried mail from the Canal Zone to the Galapagos, took place on February 6, 1936. A commemorative stamp was created. The first commercial flights arrived on January 3, 1959, with the LIA airlines and later with TAME Ecuador’s airline (June 6, 1963), and once again, booklets of commemorative stamps were created. TAME still has flights to the Galapagos.