▁living ▁among ▁the ▁n atives ▁through ▁at ▁least ▁ 1 8 7 0 . ▁ ▁The ▁international ▁community ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 4 ▁recognized ▁the ▁Spanish ▁Empire ' s ▁claim ▁of ▁so vere ig nt y ▁over ▁the ▁islands ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Spanish ▁East ▁Ind ies . ▁ ▁German ▁prote ctor ate ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁documented ▁German ▁to ▁visit ▁the ▁Marshall ▁Islands ▁was ▁Ad olph ▁Cap elle , ▁arriv ing ▁in ▁E bon ▁from ▁pre - colon ial ▁Sam oa ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 9 . ▁Jose ▁de B rum , ▁a ▁Portuguese ▁wh aler , ▁arrived ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 4 , ▁and ▁the ▁two ▁established ▁a ▁trad ing ▁post ▁on ▁E bon ▁and ▁married ▁local ▁women . ▁ ▁Several ▁more ▁German ▁companies ▁began ▁to ▁arrive ▁in ▁the ▁Marshall ▁Islands , ▁chief ly ▁among ▁them ▁G ode ff roy ▁& ▁Son ▁of ▁Hamburg , ▁who ▁pione ered ▁the ▁production ▁of ▁cop ra ▁on ▁E bon ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 7 0 s ; ▁G ode ff roy ▁& ▁Son ▁later ▁expanded ▁tradition ▁stations ▁to ▁J al uit , ▁Mal o el ap , ▁M ili , ▁and ▁Nam d rik , ▁with ▁another ▁German ▁company , ▁Hern s heim ▁& ▁Co ., ▁also ▁trad ing ▁from ▁J al uit . ▁The ▁Cap elle - de B rum ▁partners hip ▁began ▁the ▁most ▁prof itable ▁cop ra ▁production ▁on ▁L ik ie p . ▁ ▁Although ▁the ▁Spanish ▁Empire ▁had ▁a ▁resid ual ▁claim ▁on ▁the ▁Marshall ▁Islands