Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-02-26

of animal agency could be discovered The
highest portion Of the island is about thirty
feet above sea level. Of rolling character
and interspersed with many small dunes.
Many pieces Of coal left there about
thirty Years ago by the Pacific Mail Steam
ship Company now exist as coke, from eS-
posure to sun and air. Geoiogicaiiy: the
island Is of very recent elevation all the
fossils on its highest portion belonging TO
the existing fauna. and the highest point Is
certainly higher than when reported IN 1901.
although this may be the result of wind and
sea- From the great number Of birds with
which the island is tenanted, large
amount of guano might be expected: It's
absence is explained by the porosity of the
soil and the frequent rains But 1t has
without doubt been an important FACTOR III
permitting such vegetation as does eNist
on the island. No fresh water is to be seen
CT the surface, but by digging about four
feet it may be obtained. The sand eN-
tends about eighteen inches and more In the
lower portions of the island and apparently
Of much greater depth on the elevated
areas.
scanty Vegetable Life.
Vegetable life is extremely scanty. with
the exception of hardy shrub, varying
from three to five feet in height, which l
have not been able to identify. as 1t was
not Towering, ard 1 append specimen
leaves and description for further eXamina-
ton. This is well distributed over the
island, generally occurring in groups OF
dozen or more and attaining Its greatest
height the higher portions of the sand
dunes. Besides this a scrub grass and
dwarfed members of the purslane bind
weed, lobelia and fgwort families, and a
species of turnip, the Japanese daikon are
sparsely distributed. The scarcity Of Tege-
tation is probably due to the prevailing
seas and winds coming from the north
west coast of North America. and such
vegetation as might chance to be drifted
would
find congenial soil for its reproduction.
THE keel and other fragments of several
vessels lie on the beach about half a mile
from the llarbor entrance and judging
from their honeycomb and weatherworn
condition must have remained there num-
Der of years.
The Tale of a Crusoe.
"On the highest portion of the island (the
northern) and not more than thirty yards
from the beach, a one-room house was
constructed many years ago by the Pacific
Mall Steamship Company, at a time when
they intended using the island as coaling
station. A placard within announces that
the writer thereof. the commander Of
schooner, had been wrecked on the island
in September, 1888, and had remained there
until February, 1890: that during that time
he had buried four Of his crew. He also
stated that by digging four feet at an in
Dictated point water, and good water. too,
could be obtained. There were also nU
merous evidences of subsequent occupation.
1T was near this house that the daikon
was growing, and there were number Of
the plants growing near by. From this
infer that with care and fertilization many
vegetables Of economic value could be
grown. In 1867 it was reported that On the
adjacent eastern island about five acres
Of vegetable mold of foot in depth exc
listed, and it would be well worth trans
porting a sufficient quantity of 1t TO i'm
prove the soil Of this part Of Sand Island,
which I regard as the most suitable for
habitation.
'Our short stay did not permit obtaining
q sample of fresh water. but from the evil
dence Of the merchant captain, whose sole
water supply for more than a year must
have been from g. shallow well {and the
excavation remains in evidence), 1t IS highly
probable that deeper borings at this point
would yield q larger and more palataole
supply of water. The principle substances
that such water should obtain in solution
calcium carbonate and carbon dioxide
which are removable by boiling and fltra-
ton.
Vast Numbers of Sea Birds.
1.-THE number Of sea birds on this island
is infinite. Our visit was made during the
nesting season, and over fully half the
island the sand was literally covered with
sea birds. 1t was quite impossible to cross
it without stepping on the nesting birds
and their eggs unless precauton was taken
branch. The noise of the retreating birds
as they lowered overhead, screeching and
darting threatenfngly, was deafening. The
young Pacific albatross, fairly grown but
with incomplete feathers, refused, indeed,
to retreat and valantly maintained his
ground. The most numerous of these birds
are the Pacific albatross (Pheobetria full
girosa), a species of the sula, commonly
known as the BOBBY; tern (Sterna sand
vicensis), the 'bos'n,' or red-billed tropic
bird Phaeton aethereus), and the frigate
or man-of-war bird Fregata aquila). A few
land birds, apparently plover and the sickle
billed curlew, were occasionally seen. OF
these birds the tern, plover and curlew are
of economic value as food.
Food Fishes.
I'm the lagoon and in the shallow waters
on the eastern side Of the island are great
numbers and varieties of valuable food
fish, including the COD, mullet. perch, mack
erel and several species Of brilIiant-colorsd
ceryphenidae sometimes known as dolphin
fish are Of rare green, blue, red and brown
the shallowest waters. and they include the
edible beche de mer (holothuria edulis). A
great number Of univalves and a few edible
bivalves, among which Is a cookie, are
found near the lagoon. On the eastern SIDE
of the island I found skeleton of a largo
crustacean, evidently a scalloped lobster.
There Is no evidence Of land animals.
During our anchorage near the island
May 49, 1889 the temperature OF the air
ranged from 81 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit,
and that of the surface of the water about
n degrees Fahrenheit. The relative humid
ity was very high. ranging from IS to sat
uration. The rainfall Is probably large and
more than sufficient to nourish vegetation
can see nothing on the island which would
likely give rise to disease.
LAS we sounded around the island on our
return Ganuary 3, 1900 the Temperature Of
the air was from SO to 81 degrees Fahren-
heit, and that Of the surface of the later
&C degrees. The atmosphere was compare
lively dry.