The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-08-06
''''E ISLAND.
Geological amt Typographical Re
port Upon Nihoa, or Bird Island.
Surveyed July ~, 1888. by Serene
2. Bishop.

I =
SIR: was employed by you to
proceed with the excursion party of
III. r. H. Princess Liliuokalani, Mr..
Jaeger and others, to Nihoa, or Bird
Island, per steamer Iwalani, and
make such typographical survey
thereof as circumstances should al
low, also to observe the geology of
the island.
We sailed from Honolulu on Mon
day, July Goth, with large company
of excursiOnists, chiefly Hawaiians,
including the Princess and her at
tendants, and His Elk. J. NJ. Kapena
and family; also, Messrs. Jaeger,
Williams, Hall and Dole, the latter
of whom made special observations of
the birds, which are the sole inhabit-
ants of Nihoa.
At Kauai our company was in
increased by the addition of Gov. P.
Kanoa, Mr.. Deverell, with a superior
Photographic apparatus, and Mr..
ROwell, who aided in the survey. At
5 o'clock p. m., on the 22d, passing
the "barking sands" of Mana, our
course was laid WIN. w. half w,
steaming about nine knots, with a
fair but moderate wind. Slowed at
| 8 o'clock a. M. to five knots, but
pushed on at 40, shortly after
which Nihoa was seen bearing VS..
| W., twenty miles distant. Bore down
directly for it's NV. point, and by
Z O'Clock a. M. were close under it's
immense northern precipice and PIN
nacles. Many myriads of birds were
swarming around the island and the
ship. Mr.. Williams obtained an ex-
cellent photograph, showing es-
pecially the n. and E. precipices,
and the white streaking thereon of
guanO. A cave or tunnel, through
which boats can pass, of 500 feet
length underlies a Sc. prOmontory.
We saw through this tunnel from
both sides. Every Granny and ledge
of the northern precipice appeared to
be packed with the nests Of birds,
conspiouously the large downy young
of the frigate-bird. The greater part
of this precipice-4, 900 feet long, 800
feet high in the middle, and rising to
900 feet at each end, is either abso-
Iutely perpendicular, or sensibly
overhangs, SO that at several points
4 pebble may be dropped plumb into
| the waves. This very exceptional
form of precipice appears TO be due to
| a quite uniform structure of compact
scoriaceous layers thoroughly ce'
mented, it's erosion being almost
wholly from the waves at its base.
Although much lighter and softer
than the basaltic forms of lava, this
scoriaceous or clinker lava holds its
place as long as anything is at all
underneath it, whereas the usual
strata of columnar basalt with under
lying loose soil and cavities, are in
capable of perpendicular erosion. Its
precipices are usually at consider
able angle, while the scoriaceous
centers Of our older and much eroded
volcanic mountains abound in sharp
ridges and pinnacles.
AS we approached the NV. angle,
there became conspicuous very
large number of perpendicular
basaltic dikes, more than have ever
before seen in an equal space. These
traversed the whole island from end
to end, in many places erecting their
hard sharp crests above the general
surface. They were from two feet to
, substantially parallel with each other
; Their general direction was east and
west.
The north and west precipices form
sharp and very perfect acute angle
The sudden opening of the view o.
e the western wall was very impressive
4 The upper edge of that wall il
strangely Jagged, a succession o
T ragged pinnacles for 8, 200 feet declin
q ing to low, long prOmontory, bend
ing around to enclose deep cove will
a fine sand beach, which unfortunate
a ly opens to the Sc. and the force o
e the trades, which produce q heavy
y surf Swiftly rounding the point, VIZ
anchored in front of this and two
IS other coves somewhat protected by /:
projecting cliff to the Sc. These
? coves are formed by series of small
K valleys and ridges slOping down from
the high northern side and entering
4 the sea. These gullies and ridges al
t. point inward, precisely as do those a
= the head of the upper S.W. valley O
: Konahuanui, which is the chic
IS source of Nuaanu stream.
l. The middle valley is low, nearl.
!, bisecting the island in it's narrOwes
y part, which is about 800 feet wide
st It's head is the innermost and loves
in part of the concavity of the nortl
: precipice, about 800 feet high, and it
m foot at the deepest of the three cOves
er The island is thus divided somewha
Sc unequally into two lofty bulks, who's
slopes incline somewhat toward eacl
ooot, O00 for