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In the 1600s, buccaneers started to use Galapagos as a base, restocking on water and repairing their boats before setting off to attack the Spanish colonies on the South American mainland. But the main attraction of the islands were the giant tortoises which were collected and stored live on board ship where they survived for many months, providing invaluable fresh meat. In the 1800s, whaling ships and then fur-sealers collected tortoises for food and many more were killed for their fine 'turtle oil' from the late 1800s until early this century. Early settlers then hunted them for their meat and cleared large areas of their habitat for agriculture. The settlers also introduced domestic animals, many of which went wild and had a disastrous effect on the tortoises.