Cruise of the "alert"

CHAPTER I.. Departure From England--Storm Petrels--a Sparrow-Hawk

Departure from England--Storm Petrels--A Sparrow-hawk at Sea--Collecting Surface Organisms with Tow-net--Water-kite--Wire Sounding Apparatus--Land-swallow at Sea--Gulfweed--Phosphorescence of Sea-water--Arrive at Madeira--Curious Town--Dredging Work--A Pinery--Discoloured Sea-water--Petrels again--St. Vincent--Cape de Verde--Pelagic Animals--Sounding near Abrolhos Bank--Dredging over Hotspur Bank--Dredging over Victoria Bank--Moths and Butterflies on the Ocean--Extraordinary Vitality of Sphinx Moths--Arrive at Monte Video--Gauchos--Trip into Interior of Uruguay--Buenos Ayres--Dr. Burmeister's Museum--Arrive at the Falklands--"Stone Runs" 5-33

CHAPTER II.. We Enter Straits of Magellan--Reach Sandy Point--Gold

We enter Straits of Magellan--Reach Sandy Point--Gold and Coal--Surrounding Country--Elizabeth Island--Dredging--Fuegians at Port Famine--We enter Smyth's Channel--Canoe "Portage" at Isthmus Bay--Arrive at Tom Bay--A Fuegian Family--Trinidad Channel--Climate of Western Patagonia--Flora--Rock Formation--Soilcap--Natives--The Channel Tribe of Fuegians--Scarcity of Old People--Water-birds of Tom Bay--Sea Otters--A Concealed "Portage"--Habits of Gulls and Shags--Steamer-ducks--Land-shells--Fresh-water Fish--Deer 34-65

CHAPTER III.. Trinidad Channel Gouged Out by Glaciers--Port

Trinidad Channel gouged out by Glaciers--Port Henry--Trumpet-shells--Native Camp--Wolsey Sound--"Cache Diablo"--"Ripple-marked" Limestone--Fuegian Burial-place--Marine Animals--Strange Capture of Fish--Whales Abundant--Exploration of Picton Channel--Attack on Sealers--Signs of Old Ice Action--"Hailstone" Rock--Soil motion--We proceed Northward to Refit--English Narrows--Gulf of Peñas 66-80

CHAPTER IV.. Arrival At Valparaiso--War Between Chili, Peru, and

Arrival at Valparaiso--War between Chili, Peru, and Bolivia--Sir George Nares returns to England--Captain Maclear joins--Coquimbo--Shell Terraces--Trip to Las Cardas--Habits of Pteroptochus--Island of St. Ambrose--Habits of Petrels--Flight of the Albatross--Santiago de Chilé--Natural History Museum--Santa Lucia--Church of La Compania--Heights of Montenegro--A Fly-trap Plant--Copper mines of Brillador--Peculiarities of Chilian Mines--Talcahuano--Outbreak of Small-pox--Isla de los Reyes--Shooting a "Coypo"--Railway Trip to Araucanian Territory--Our Locomotive--Incidents of the Journey--Fossil Tree-trunk at Quiriquina Island 81-102

CHAPTER V.. We Return to Patagonian Waters--Gulf of Peñas--Spring in

We return to Patagonian Waters--Gulf of Peñas--Spring in the Trinidad Channel--Gephyrean at Cockle Cove--Diving Petrel--Tree Cormorants--Magellan Kingfisher--A Curious Moss--Wind-swept Bushes--Gull, Cormorant, and Skua--Examination of Brazo del Norte--Black-necked Swan--A Sealer's Yarn--Fur-seal Trade--Hardships of Seal-hunting--Otter Skins--Experiment with Condor--Fuegians at Tilly Bay--Flaking Glass Arrow-heads--List of Fuegian Words--The Maranhense--A Magellan Glacier--Native Fish-weirs--The Magellan Nutria 103-126

CHAPTER VI.. We Proceed Towards Skyring Water--Otway Water--Canal of

We proceed towards Skyring Water--Otway Water--Canal of Fitzroy Terrace-levels--Plants and Animals--Bay of the Mines--Previous Explorers--The Coal Mines--Altamirano Bay--Prospects of the Settlement--A Seal "Rookery"--Puerto Bueno--We proceed Northwards--Port Riofrio--Gray Harbour--Sailing for Coast of Chili--Small-pox amongst the Chilians--Discoloured Sea-water--Habits of Ant Thrush 127-143

CHAPTER VII.. Early History of Tahiti--Otaheite and Tahiti--Its Appearance

Early History of Tahiti--Otaheite and Tahiti--Its appearance from Seaward--Harbour of Papiété--Produce--Matavai Bay--Tahiti annexed to France--Prince Tamitao--Annexation Festivities--King Pomare V.--Coral growing on Ship's Bottom--Nassau Island--Danger Islands--Tema Reef--Union Group--Nukunono--Oatáfu--Natives afflicted with a Skin Disease--Stone Implements--Religious Scruples--Metal Fish-hooks not appreciated--Capriciousness of Sharks--Lalla Rookh Bank 144-158

CHAPTER VIII.. Arrival At Fiji--Levuka--Ratu Joe Comes on Board--Excursion

Arrival at Fiji--Levuka--Ratu Joe comes on Board--Excursion to Bau in Viti Levu--We visit King Cacobau--A Native Feast--Lalis--Tapa--The Bure Kalou--Bakola--Old Fijian Atrocities--Double Canoe--Stone Adzes now becoming rare--Angona Drinking--Sir Arthur Gordon--Walk across Ovalau--The Kaicolos--An Imprudent Settler--Pine-apple Cultivation--Periophthalmus--Suva--Site of Future Capital--Sail towards Tonga Islands--Pelagic Animals--Early History of Tonga--Missionaries--Nukualofa--A Costly Pair of Gates--Visit to Bea--Davita--Evidence of Elevation of Island--King George of Tonga--Wellington Gnu--Curious Stone Monument--Trip to Village of Hifo--We are entertained by the Natives--Famous Caves--Eyeless Fish--Swifts behaving like Bats--Searching for Reefs--Discolouration of Sea-water--Return to Levuka--Voyage to Australia--Surface Life 159-179

CHAPTER IX.. Refitting Ship At Sydney--Mr. Haswell Joins Us--We Proceed

Refitting Ship at Sydney--Mr. Haswell joins us--We proceed Northwards along East Coast of Australia--Port Curtis, Queensland--A "Labour Vessel"--Mr. Eastlake--Marine Fauna abundant--Festivities at Gladstone--Birds--Percy Islands--Survey of Port Molle--Queensland Aborigines--"Black Police"--"Dispersing" Black fellows--Dredging Operations--A Parasitic Shell-fish--Port Denison--Visit to a Native Camp--Throwing the Boomerang--A Beche-de-mer Establishment at Lizard Island--Hostility of the Natives--Drawings by Aborigines at Clack Island--Albany Island, North-Eastern Australia 180-193

CHAPTER X.. Settlement At Thursday Island--Torres Straits

Settlement at Thursday Island--Torres Straits Islanders--Pearl-Shell Fisheries--Value of the Shell--Pearls not abundant--Neighbouring Islands--Lizards--Land-crab--Land-shells--Ferns--Birds--Booby Island--Arrive at Port Darwin, North-Western Australia--Submarine Cables--Trans-continental Telegraph--Palmerston--Northern Territory Gold-fields--Aborigines at Port Darwin--Marine Fauna--Birds--Geese perching on Trees 194-208

CHAPTER XI.. Voyage From Port Darwin to Singapore--Through the

Voyage from Port Darwin to Singapore--Through the Eastern Archipelago--We arrive at Singapore--Oceanic "Tiderips"--Bird Island, Seychelles--Sea-birds on Land--Port Mahé, Seychelles--The Coco-de-Mer--Gigantic Tortoise--Produce of the Islands--Vanilla--A Primitive Crushing-mill--Dredging Operations--Periophthalmus--The Seychelles, of Granitic Structure--We visit the Amirante Group--African Islands--Abundance of Orbitolites--Crabs pursued by Eels--Eagle Island--Partridge shooting--Young Lizards--Darros Island--Casuarinas--Dredging--Poivre Island--Trees and Shrubs--Isle des Roches--Flora scanty--Land-birds--General Remarks on the Amirantes as a Group--"Fringing Reefs," but no "Barrier Reefs"--Signs of Elevation--Weather and Lee Sides contrasted 209-229

CHAPTER XII.. Alphonse Island--Pearl-Shell--Providence Island--Method

Alphonse Island--Pearl-shell--Providence Island--Method of planting Cocoa-nuts--Edible Turtle--Flora--Red Coral--Cerf Islets--St. Pierre--Du Lise Island--Flora and Fauna--Erratic Stones on Coral Reef--Glorioso Island--We sail for Mozambique Island--And sight East Coast of Africa--Trade at Mozambique--Inhabitants--Caju--Shells of Foreshore--The Survey concluded--Homeward Bound--Cape of Good Hope--Egg of the Epiornis--Arrival at Plymouth 230-245

GENERAL INDEX 246

INDEX OF NATURAL HISTORY TERMS 253

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

Facing

H.M.S. "ALERT" AT ANCHOR IN TOM BAY, WEST COAST OF PATAGONIA title

FUEGIAN AND AUSTRALIAN IMPLEMENTS 34

CANOE OF CHANNEL FUEGIANS 50

FUEGIAN "PORTAGE" FOR TRANSPORT OF CANOES OVERLAND 60

FUEGIANS OFFERING THEIR CHILDREN FOR BARTER 65

OUR FUEGIAN FRIENDS AT TILLY BAY, STRAITS OF MAGELLAN 104

FUEGIAN HUT AT TILLY BAY 120

FOOT OF GLACIER, AT GLACIER BAY, STRAITS OF MAGELLAN 124

FISH-HOOKS OF UNION ISLANDERS 143

WOMAN OF TAHITI 144

FISHERMAN OF TAHITI 148

KING CACOBAU OF FIJI, WIFE, AND RATU JOE 160

TOTOONGA VALLEY, OVALAU, FIJI 166

ANCIENT STONE MONUMENT AT TONGATABU 174

FACSIMILES OF DRAWINGS BY AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINES 192

ABORIGINES OF NORTH-WEST AUSTRALIA 204

"TRAVELLERS' TREES" IN GARDENS AT SINGAPORE 210

"COPRA" CRUSHING MILL AT SEYCHELLES 218

CRUISE OF THE "ALERT."

INTRODUCTION.

In the summer of 1878 it was decided by the Lords of the Admiralty to equip a vessel for the threefold purpose of continuing the survey of the Straits of Magellan, of investigating the nature and exact position of certain doubtful reefs and islands in the South Pacific Ocean, and of surveying a portion of the northern and western coasts of Australia. The special object of the Magellan portion of the work was to make such a detailed survey of the sheltered channels extending southward from the Gulf of Peñas to Port Tamar as would enable vessels to pass from the Straits to the Pacific, and vice versâ, without having to encounter the wild and inhospitable outer coasts presented by the chain of desolate islands here fringing the western coasts of South America. It was also desirable that additional anchorages should be found and surveyed, where vessels might lie in safety while waiting for the cessation of a gale, or for a favourable tide to help them through the straits. The surveys made by the Adventure and Beagle in 1826-36, and by the Nassau in 1866-9, were excellent so far as they went, and so far as the requirements of their times were concerned; but the great increase of ocean navigation within the last few years had rendered it necessary that the charts should contain more minute surveys of certain places which were not formerly of importance. The South Pacific portion of our survey was to be mainly in connection with the recently acquired colony of the Fiji Islands, and was to be devoted to an exploration of the eastern passages leading to this group, with an investigation of the doubtful dangers reported in the vicinity of the great shipping tracts. Finally, on completing the above, and arriving at Australia, we were to spend a year and a half, or thereabouts, in surveying the line of reefs which fringe its whole western seaboard, the ill-defined position of which is a serious obstacle to the now extensive trade between Western Australia and the Dutch islands of the Malay Archipelago.

The latter part of the orders was subsequently changed, inasmuch as we were directed to omit the survey of the western shores of Australia, and were ordered instead, on completing the North Australian work, to proceed to Singapore, in the Straits of Malacca, to refit. Thence we were to return home by the Cape of Good Hope, stopping on our way at the Seychelles, Amirante Islands, and Mozambique, in order to fix astronomically the position of the Amirante Group, and, as opportunities occurred, to take a line of soundings off the east coast of Africa.

The vessel selected for this special service was the Alert, a man-of-war sloop of 751 tons measurement and 60 horse-power nominal; and the command of the expedition was given to Capt. Sir George Nares, K.C.B. By a happy coincidence the same stout craft which had already done such good service in the Arctic Expedition of 1875-6, and which bears the honour of having attained the highest northern latitude, was selected as the ship in which Sir George Nares was now about to proceed on a voyage of exploration in high southern latitudes. She was officially commissioned on the 20th of August, with a complement of 120 officers and men, her equipments including apparatus for conducting deep sea sounding and dredging operations, and a miscellaneous collection of instruments not usually supplied to H.M.'s ships.

It being the wish of the enterprising hydrographer of the navy--Captain, now Sir Frederick Evans, K.C.B.--that the opportunities which this expedition would afford of making a valuable natural history collection in regions little known to science should not be thrown away, and Sir George Nares warmly seconding him in this wish, the Admiralty determined on appointing as surgeon an officer who, in addition to his duties as medical officer of the ship, would be inclined to devote his spare time to the cause of natural science. Sir George Nares, knowing my fondness for natural history, with characteristic kindness gave my application his support, and I had therefore the good fortune to be appointed as medical officer of the Alert, on the understanding that (so far as my medical duties permitted) I would not lose sight of the advantages which would accrue to science from a collection of natural-history objects illustrative of the fauna and flora of the countries visited in the course of the voyage.

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