Funafuti.The dotted portion represents the coral reefs, the black portion land,and the arrows mark the deep-water channels.
Funafuti.The dotted portion represents the coral reefs, the black portion land,and the arrows mark the deep-water channels.
Starting from Suva we steam a little west of north, along the chain of the Ellice and Gilbert Islands, which reaches quite up to the equator. These islands are all coral atolls; Funafuti, in the Ellice Group,serves as a type of all the rest. It consists of a lagoon,49about twelve miles across, roughly circular and surrounded by a reef; the top of this reef appears here and there above water in the form of coral islets, the largest of which is Funafuti proper. The whole atoll is merely the coral-rimmed summit of a huge mountain rising from the great depths of the Pacific. Funafuti is a complicated atoll; many of the smaller islands of the Fijian group are volcanic, and show a different kind of structure. In these we sometimes find the old crater filled with water, while the remnants of the slopes of the volcano form the shores of the lagoon. A good instance of this structure is Totoya, towards50the south-east of the Fijian group. Here the enclosing rim rises to over a thousand feet, but the sea hasbroken through on the south and formed a lagoon. The entrance is almost closed by the coral reef which encircles the whole of the outside of the island. Coral reefs grow everywhere if the water is shallow enough, so that we find reefs not only around the coasts of the islands but growing on banks which are isolated and entirely covered by the sea.
Totoya.The dotted portions represent coral reefs.
Totoya.The dotted portions represent coral reefs.
North of the Ellice Islands are the Gilberts, arranged also in rows from south-east to north-west. They, too, are coral atolls, with a thin soil which will grow nothing but coconuts and screw pines; none the less, on coconuts and fish a fairly dense population supports itself. They are, as we might expect, less civilised here than in the larger islands which we have visited further south.
From the Gilberts we turn south-west to visit another great row of islands, the Solomons and New Hebrides. On our way we pass Ocean Island, a small dot isolated from the rest of the Gilbert Group. Here we find, in addition to the natives, a considerable number of Europeans. The island is being exploited commercially, but instead of making copra they are digging out valuable deposits of phosphates. Here are some of the natives,51and here is a picture showing the excavation of the phosphatic coral rock.52
Ocean Island has for us a further interest. North-west of it lies Nauru, where also phosphates are obtained. Nauru belongs to Germany, and the dividing line between the British and German spheres runs between the two islands. If we follow the line south-west, we see that it cuts through the Solomons and then turns sharply west to New Guinea which it divides roughly into halves. Germany shares with the United States the Samoa Islands, north-east of Tonga, but her main sphere of influence is in this western area.
On our voyage to the Solomons we pass anothercurious island, or rather group of islands. This is Ongtong Java, where the people differ from those of the islands which we have visited up to this point. We are approaching a region where we know little of the character and origin of the natives, a region more backward and savage than any other part of our dominions in the Pacific.
The Solomons consist of a double row of long and narrow islands, with high mountain ridges and many volcanoes, some extinct, others still active. The largest island, Bougainville, at the north end, is German; the rest are British. They have long been known to explorers, but until recently their history tells chiefly of resistance by the natives against Europeans who have attempted to open up intercourse with them. Lately, thanks to the good influence of the missionaries, and perhaps still more to the better regulations made by the agents of the British Government for intercourse between the wild men and the Europeans, considerable advance has been made, and plantations of coconut and other valuable products have been established in many of the larger islands. Many of the tribes, however, are still head-hunters and cannibals. The islands are covered with great forests, and the plants and animals, as well as the natives, resemble to some degree those found in New Guinea. The people go naked for the most part, except for necklaces and bracelets of shells and teeth. Their houses are often built on piles, like those of the Papuans. Here we see53a group engaged in a war-dance, and here is one of their curiously ornamented canoes.54
South-east of the Solomons we pass the Santa Cruz Group; the name, as do many other names in this part of the world, reminds us again of the early voyages of de Quiros the Spaniard, who at the end of the sixteenth century first discovered these distant islands. Spain has disappeared from this part of the Pacific,and the region of islands is divided between Germany to the north, Britain in the Solomons, and Britain and France in the New Hebrides.
Southward from Santa Cruz we pass almost at once the northernmost of the long chain of the New Hebrides, discovered towards the end of the eighteenth century, almost simultaneously, by our own Captain Cook and by the great French admiral Bougainville. Northernmost of all, in the sphere of joint Anglo-French influence, we pass the Torres and Banks Islands, great centres of the famous Melanesian mission. Next we come to Espiritu Santo, or Santo for short, at the northern end of which is the great Bay of St. Philip and St. James, within which, four centuries ago, Quiros built a town—a town which lasted but a few months. He rejoiced greatly because he thought that in that newly discovered land he had reached the beginning of the great Southern Continent which was supposed to extend thence to the Antarctic regions.
Here and there round Santo there are a few mission stations, and a few fairly prosperous plantations, some English and some French; but the natives in the interior are still very wild and occasionally raid the European settlements. Here we see a vast crowd of natives celebrating a feast. Now it is a peaceful55ceremony: it was far different in the past.
Next, still steaming southward, we pass between two rows of islands, until, about where the two rows join, we come to the Island of Efate, with its growing town of Vila, the centre of Anglo-French administration. Here is the seat of the Joint Court, and many buildings of almost European type have recently been erected for its use.
Still further south the New Hebrides reach, now in a single line, almost down to the Loyalty Islands and New Caledonia. These last two places are, however, purely French possessions, and we may pass them by.
From Vila the Governor in his warship would probably return eastward to Fiji. We may leave him at Vila and take either the French or the British steamer, which calls there once a month, and so make our way direct to Sydney. But before leaving the subject of the New Hebrides we may note that the islands of this group are largely volcanic, and the people are not unlike those of the Solomons, though perhaps rather less savage. Here we have a picture showing their56former method of receiving visitors. It was from these two groups that the brown labour for the Queensland plantations was largely recruited in times past. The New Hebrides are fertile, though not healthy for Europeans; and when they have been reduced to some order by white administration they may develop a trade with Australia in various vegetable products; since they are not limited to the coconut as are so many of the coral atolls. The picture before us with57its coral reefs, its forest and its background of volcanic hills, gives a very good idea of the scenery of these islands.
We have now completed the circuit of our chief possessions in the Western Pacific. There still remain a few detached islands and groups on its eastern borders which are under the jurisdiction of the High Commissioner. Of these only two are of much interest.
Fanning Island lies almost in mid-Pacific, and halfway along the usual route from Sydney to Vancouver. A steamer from Sydney travels 1700 miles to its first stop at Suva; then 1900 on to Fanning Island; thence 3400 to Vancouver, the starting place of the Canadian-Pacific route to Europe. Fanning Island is in consequence the mid-Pacific station of the Pacific cable. The island and its near neighbour, Washington Island, are small coral islands with lagoons, on which coconuts have long been profitably cultivated. Both also have valuable deposits of phosphates, due to the age-longdeposit of the droppings of countless seabirds on the decomposing coral. These phosphates, as well as the very abundant coconuts, are already exported, and their value is likely to increase considerably before long. Moreover, the probability that Fanning Island may be made into a shelter and repairing station for vessels crossing the Pacific adds largely to its value as an asset of the Empire. Here are two pictures of58the island, typical of the kind of coral atoll which is found isolated in the Pacific, instead of being, as are59most of the others which we have seen, a member of a group.
Far away to the south-east, almost on the Tropic,60and halfway to South America, lies the lonely Pitcairn Island, to which a few other scattered islets, British possessions, are attached. Pitcairn has a population of about a hundred and fifty souls, descendants of the mutineers of theBounty, who settled here with their native wives in 1789. The present occupants represent those who returned after the experiment of removing to Norfolk Island in 1856. They had found themselves overcrowded, since Pitcairn is a tiny island only two miles long by three-quarters wide, rocky and volcanic, though fertile. The island is of great interest from the point of view of the history of the Pacific, since there are remains on it of stone monuments, weapons, and images which prove that even in this distant corner of the ocean some early people must have settled long before the Polynesians. In fact, there are traces of61such settlements all over the Pacific, which suggest that the Polynesians themselves are merely modern colonists, occupying the homes of an earlier and perhaps more civilised race.
[The titles printed in heavy type are those of the Maps and Illustrations appearing in the book.]
Slide No.1. Chart of Tasman’s Voyage, 1642.2. Off Chatham Island, West Australia.3. Coast Scene, West Australia.4. Map of Hollandia Nova; Pieter Goos.5. Map of New Holland; R. de Vagondy.6. Statue of Captain Cook.7. TheEndeavouroff New Zealand.8. Chart of Cook’s Voyage, 1769–70.9. A Wallaby.10. Rat Kangaroo.11. Phalanger.12. Native Bear.13. Native Bear and Child.14. Tasmanian Devil.15. Tasmanian Wolf.16. Duck-billed Platypus.17. Dingo.18. Lyre Bird.19. Emu.20. Gum-Tree Blossom.21. Laughing Jackasses.22. Black Swan.23. Palms at Brisbane.24. Palm Scrub, near Cairns.25. Tropical Bush, Lake Eachem.26. Gum Trees.27. Mulga Scrub.28. Salt Bush.29. Spinifex.30. A Desert Scene, West Australia.31. A Desert Scene, Central Australia.32. Watercourse, in Dry Season.33. Grass Trees.34. Grass Trees and Red Gums.35. Grass Trees.36. Aboriginal Rock Shelter.37. Natives fishing.38. Armed Natives, at a Pool.39. Throwing the Boomerang.40. Native climbing a Tree.41. Anthony Anderson.42. Native Paintings.43. Native Paintings.44. Corroboree.45. Native Reserve, Victoria.46. Group of Natives, Queensland.47. A Native Woman, Queensland.48. Orographical Map of Australia.49. New Zealand, Bush Scene.50. Kiwi.51. Takahe.52. Skeleton of Moa.53. Moa restored.54. Tuatara.
1. The Heads, Port Jackson.2. Middle Harbour, Port Jackson.3. Sailing Ships entering Port Jackson.4. Circular Quay, Sydney.5. Darling Harbour.6. Chart of Port Jackson.7. Warships in Farm Cove.8. View over Farm Cove.9. Old Sydney.10. George Street, Sydney.11. Martin Place, Sydney.12. Orographical Map of New South Wales.13. Map of Railways and Sydney Coal Field.14. Hetton Colliery, Newcastle.15. Newcastle Harbour.16. Coal Cliff Colliery.17. A Waterfall in the Blue Mountains.18. Govett’s Leap, Blue Mountains.19. Limestone Arch, Jenolan.20. Limestone Gorge, Jenolan.21. The Broken Column, Jenolan Caves.22. Lithgow.23. A Farm in the Tamworth Country.24. Reapers at Work, Tamworth.25. Rainfall Map of New South Wales.26. Map of Eastern United States on Eastern Australia.27. Carting Wool.28. Sheep at Shearing Shed.29. Wool Show-room, Sydney.30. A Flock of Shorn Sheep.31. A Lagoon on the Murrumbidgee.32. The Murray in Flood.33. Bridge over the Murray.34. Crossing a Creek, Murray District.35. Steamer on the Murray.36. A Broken Hill Mine.37. A Camel Team, Broken Hill.38. Reservoir, Broken Hill.39. The Snowy River.40. A Tributary of the Snowy River.41. Motoring to Kosciusko.42. Hotel at Kosciusko.43. The Summit of Kosciusko, before Sunset.44. Surveying the Site at Yass.45. Surveyors’ Camp, Yass.46. Yass Canberra Site.47. A Dairy Farm on the Coast.48. Blackbutt Tree.49. A Timber Team.50. Map of Papua.51. Papuan Natives.52. Papuan Girl.53. A Native Town.54. Native Houses.55. A Village Constable, Papua.56. Armed Constabulary, Papua.57. A Bush Track.58. Carriers crossing a Stream.59. A Native Bridge.60. Natives of the Main Range.61. A European House, Port Moresby.62. Steamer at Port Moresby.
1. Wallangarra Station.2. Orographical Map of Queensland.3. Rainfall Map of Queensland.4. Victoria Bridge, Brisbane.5. South Brisbane.6. The River, near Brisbane.7. Executive Buildings, Brisbane.8. Parliament Houses, Brisbane.9. Queen Street, Brisbane.10. Natural Grass, Darling Downs.11. Sheep on Downs, near Warwick.12. A Rancher’s Station, Roma.13. Toowoomba.14. Gladstone.15. Harbour and Jetty, Gladstone.16. Bridge on Fitzroy River.17. Loading Frozen Meat.18. Railway Map of Queensland.19. A Settler’s Camp, Queensland.20. A New Homestead.21. Cattle on Ringbarked Country.22. Queensland Karri Pine.23. Trainload of Sleepers.24. Townsville Harbour.25. Jetty at Townsville.26. Landing Cattle at Bowen.27. Cattle, Central Queensland.28. Cattle on Coast Farm.29. Clearing Palm-scrub.30. Irrigated Sugar-cane.31. Cutting Sugar-cane.32. Trainload of Sugar-cane.33. Banana Plantation.34. Shipping Bananas, Johnston River.35. Coffee Plantation, Kuranda.36. Pruning a Coffee Bush.37. Java Coffee Bush.38. Avenue of Palms, Kamerunga.39. Rubber Plantation.40. Tapping Rubber.41. African Rubber Tree.42. Sisal Hemp.43. Picking Cotton.44. A Street in Cairns.45. Bellenden Ker Range.46. Above the Barron Falls.47. Barron Falls.48. Barron Falls.49. On the Cairns Railway.50. Atherton.51. A Chinese Joss House.52. Fig Trees, Atherton.53. A Tropical Garden, North Queensland.54. Mount Morgan.55. Crushing the Ore, Mount Morgan.56. Herberton, a Tin Township.57. A Copper Mine, Queensland.58. Artesian Bore.59. Chart of part of the Barrier Reef.60. View on the Barrier Reef.61. Bêche de Mer.
1. Orographical Map of Victoria.2. A Coast Lagoon, Victoria.3. Chart of Port Phillip.4. Collins Street, Melbourne.5. Bourke Street, Melbourne.6. Treasury Offices, Melbourne.7. Interior of Mount Franklin.8. In the Victorian Valley.9. String of Draught Horses.10. Horses in Park.11. A Race Meeting.12. Railway Map of Victoria.13. On the Banks of the Yarra.14. Bridge over the Yarra.15. Camp of Boy Scouts.16. A Boy Scout.17. Healesville.18. Gum Logs.19. House at Black’s Spur.20. Woods near Mount Macedon.21. Sturt Street, Ballarat.22. Sturt Street, Ballarat.23. Botanical Gardens, Ballarat.24. Sinking a Shaft for Gold.25. Washing Gold Dust.26. Gold Mine, Bendigo.27. An Outcrop of Quartz.28. Rainfall Map of Victoria.29. Rolling down Mallee Scrub.30. Impounding a Stream.31. Excavation of a Reservoir.32. An Irrigation Channel.33. A Pumping Station.34. Chart of Banks Strait.35. The Tamar at Launceston.36. View of Launceston.37. King’s Bridge, Launceston.38. Cataract Gorge, Launceston.39. Power Station, Cataract Gorge.40. Apple Orchards, on the Tamar.41. Orographical Map of Tasmania.42. Railway Map of Tasmania.43. Team of Oxen, Scottsdale.44. Sheep on the Road, Scottsdale.45. The Forest, from the Train, Western Tasmania.46. A River Gorge, Western Tasmania.47. View near Zeehan.48. Main Street, Zeehan.49. A Smeltery, Zeehan.50. Strahan Bay.51. Queenstown.52. Gormanston.53. The Open Cut, Mount Lyell Mines.54. Mount Lyell Smelteries.55. View of Queenstown.56. View of Hobart.57. Hobart from the Water.58. Fern-Tree Gully, Hobart.59. Government House, Hobart.60. Mount Wellington.61. Orchards, Franklin.62. Scaffolding a Tree.63. Loading Logs.64. A Saw Mill, Geeveston.65. Timber on the Wharf, Geeveston.
1. Wharf at Port Adelaide.2. King William Street, Adelaide.3. The Torrens River.4. City Bridge, Adelaide.5. A Street in Adelaide.6. The Post Office, Adelaide.7. Judge’s Garden, Adelaide.8. Adelaide, looking south-east.9. Orographical Map of South Australia.10. Mount Gambier Lakes.11. A Waterfall, Mount Lofty.12. Orchards and Vineyards, Adelaide.13. An Orange Tree.14. Drying Raisins.15. Loading a Steamer on the Murray.16. A Salt Lake, Yorke Peninsula.17. Railway Map of South Australia.18. An Out-Station, South Australia.19. Camel Team, in the far North.20. Rainfall Map of South Australia.21. Copper Mines, Wallaroo.22. Copper Mines, Moonta.23. Wharf, Port Pirie.24. Smelting Works, Port Pirie.25. Map of Desert Journeys.26. Orographical Map of Western Australia.27. Chart of the Swan River.28. Fremantle.29. On the Swan River.30. Perth, from King’s Park.31. St. George’s Terrace, Perth.32. Garden with Lemon Trees, Perth.33. The Countryside, near Perth.34. A Black Gin.35. View of York.36. A Flour Mill, York.37. Church on the River, York.38. The King’s Head, York.39. Rainfall Map of Western Australia.40. Jarrah Trees.42. Red Gums and Chalk Hills.43. Everlasting Flowers.44. View of Albany.45. Chart of King George’s Sound.46. Kalgoorlie.47. A Pool, in Rainy Season.48. Lake Violet, after Rain.49. Salt Flats, Kalgoorlie.50. Mundaring Weir.51. Beginning of Mining.52. Boring for Alluvial Gold.53. Gold Workings, burrowing.54. Alluvial Mining, sluicing.55. Fraser’s Gold Mine.56. Cyanide Vats.57. An Open Cut.58. A Quartz Reef.59. Granite Rocks and Tank.60. Limestone Cliffs, in the Great Bight.61. Springs, in the Great Bight.
1. The Bluff, Invercargill.2. Dee Street, Invercargill.3. Orographical Map of South Island.4. Lumsden.5. On the Road to Manapouri.6. The Pier, Manapouri.7. Launch, on Manapouri.8. Hunter Mountains.9. Cathedral Peaks.10. Spire Peak.11. In the Mackinnon Pass.12. Mount Elliott.13. A Dry Creek, Mackinnon Pass.14. Dawn, on the Clinton River.15. Donald Sutherland.16. Bowen Falls, Milford Sound.17. Mitre Peak.18. Two-man Beach.19. Entrance to Milford Sound.20. Map of the Sounds.21. Sutherland Falls.22. A Gold Dredger.23. Map of Otago Peninsula.24. Dunedin.25. Dunedin.26. Interior of Woollen Mill.27. St. Clair Beach, Dunedin.28. Port Chalmers, looking east.29. Railway Map of South Island.30. Burke’s Pass.31. Suspension Bridge, Tekapo.32. A Boundary Dog.33. Mount Cook, from Pukaki.34. Mount Sefton, from the Hermitage.35. The Hermitage, under Snow.36. Crossing the Hooker River.37. Hooker River, in Flood.38. The Mueller Glacier, terminal Moraine.39. Looking up Tasman Glacier.40. Head of Tasman Glacier.41. Ice River, on Tasman Glacier.42. Hochstetter Ice Falls.43. Mount Cook.44. Summit of Mount Cook.45. Sheep in Canterbury District.46. A Farm in the Canterbury Plains.47. Reaping, in the Canterbury Plains.48. Rainfall Map of South Island.49. Panorama of Christchurch.50. The Avon, Christchurch.51. Private Residence, on the Avon.52. Lyttelton.53. Chart of Banks Peninsula.54 Lincoln Agricultural College.55. Lincoln College, Threshing Wheat.56. Otira Pass, the Summit.57. In the Otira Gorge.58. Brunner.59. Nelson.60. Map of Marlborough Sounds.61. Pelorus Sound.62. Pelorus Jack.
1. Orographical Map of North Island.2. Napier.3. Approaching Wellington.4. Chart of Wellington Harbour.5. Wellington Harbour.6. Wharves on Reclaimed Land, Wellington.7. Passenger Wharf, Wellington.8. View from Customs Tower.9. View from Customs Tower, looking north-east.10. The Basin Reserve.11. Government Buildings.12. Old Government House.13. Remains of Parliamentary Buildings.14. Political Map of North Island.15. Mount Ruapehu, distant view.16. Mount Ngauruhoe.17. Maori Women, greeting.18. Taupo, looking towards Tokaano.19. The Champagne Pool.20. Rotomahana Terraces.21. Rotomahana Terraces.22. Twin Geyser and Terraces.23. The Great Wairakei Geyser.24. The Geyser at Work.25. Lake Perariri.26. Sulphur Beds.27. Remains of a Maori Pah.28. Portrait of Maori Chief.29. Maori Chief, with Staff.30. Group of Maoris in Native Dress.31. House of a Chief.32. A Chief’s Daughter, with Staff.33. Maori Haka.34. A Poi Dance.35. Maori War Canoe.36. Grave of Maori Chief.37. Woman smoking.38. Children bathing.39. Tourists round a Geyser.40. Wairoa Geyser, playing.41. Cooking in Steam Holes.42. A Maori Village, Lake Rotorua.43. Hot Lake, Rotorua.44. Rapids on the Waikato.45. On the Wanganui.46. Rapids on the Wanganui.47. Dairy Cattle, Taranaki.48. Mount Egmont.49. Rainfall Map of North Island.50. Cutting Flax.51. Flax in the Bale.52. Kauri Tree.53. Cutting down Kauri.54. Hauling Kauri Logs.55. Ship, loading Kauri.56. Gum Diggers.57. Camp of Gum Diggers.58. Russell, Bay of Islands.59. Chart of Auckland.60. Chart of Manukau.61. Auckland, from Devonport.62. View of Auckland, from Mount Victoria.63. An Extinct Volcano, Auckland.
1. Map of Western Pacific.2. Map of Tongatabu.3. Nukualofa.4. George Fatafehi and Household.5. A Road in Tonga.6. Launch coming out, Lifuka.7. Native Travellers, Haapai.8. Surf on Windward Beach.9. Vavau Sound.10. The Wharf, Niafu.11. Swimming with the Mails.12. Lau Island.13. Fijian Canoe.14. Canoes with Mat Sails.15. Map of Fiji Islands.16. One End of Ovalau.17. Levuka Town.18. Coast Village, Ovalau.19. Entering Suva Harbour.20. Panorama of Suva Harbour.21. Banana Boats, Suva.22. Street Scene, Suva.23. Map of Viti Levu.24. On the Navua River.25. View on the North Side of Viti Levu.26. Forest and Mountain, Viti Levu.27. Hot Springs, Fiji.28. A Presentation of Food.29. Sugar Mill, on Rewa River.30. Interior of Sugar Mill.31. A Sugar Estate, Fiji.32. Coconut Plantation.33. Coconut Tree, with Fruit.34. Natives climbing Trees.35. Cutting Copra.36. Men’s Meke.37. Group of Dancers.38. Women’s Meke.39. Fiji Constabulary.40. Fording a River, Viti Levu.41. Making Mats.42. Making Pottery.43. A Fijian Village.44. Fijian House, Old Style.45. Interior of Chief’s House.46. Yangona Drinking.47. The Gate of Namosi.48. The Town Drum, Namosi.49. Chart of Funafuti.50. Chart of Totoya.51. Ocean Islanders.52. Phosphate Deposits, Ocean Island.53. Solomon Islands, War Dance.54. Solomon Islands, Canoe.55. Native Feast, New Hebrides.56. Attack on a Missionary.57. Coast View, New Hebrides.58. Fanning Island.59. Fanning Island.60. Pitcairn Island.61. Stone Ruins, Tonga.
Printed by George Philip & Son, Ltd., London.
TRANSCRIBER’S NOTESome of the illustrations were printed sideways in the original book. These have been rotated to the horizontal in this etext.Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within the text and consultation of external sources. All misspellings in the text, and inconsistent or archaic usage, have been retained.
TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE
Some of the illustrations were printed sideways in the original book. These have been rotated to the horizontal in this etext.
Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within the text and consultation of external sources. All misspellings in the text, and inconsistent or archaic usage, have been retained.