incumbent weight into the sea; those which are less injured in this
way present no alternate ridges or indication of the different levels
W'hich the sea might have occupied at different periods, but a smooth
surface, as if the island, which there is every probability has been
raised by volcanic agency, had been forced up by one great subterraneous
convulsion. The dead coral, of which the higher part of the
island consists, is nearly circumscribed by ledges of living coral, W'hich
project beyond each other at different depths; on the northern side of
the island the first of these had an easy slope from the beach to a
distance of about fifty yards, when it terminated abruptly about three
fathoms under water. The next ledge had a greater descent, and extended
to two hundred yards from the beach, with twenty-five fathoms
water over it, and there ended as abruptly as the former, a short distance
beyond which no bottom could be gained with 200 fathoms of line.
Numerous echini live upon these ledges, and a variety of richly coloured
fish play over their surface, while some cray-fish inhabit the deeper
sinuosities. The sea rolls in successive breakers over these ledges of
coral, and renders landing upon them extremely difficult. It may,
however, be effected by anchoring the boat, and veering her close into
the surf, and then, watching the opportunity, by jumping upon the
ledge, and hastening to the shore before the succeeding roller approaches.
In doing this great caution must be observed, as the reef
is full of holes and caverns, and the rugged way is strewed with sea-
eggs, which inflict very painful wounds ; and if a person fall into one
of these hollows, his life will be greatly endangered by the points of
coral catching his clothes and detaining him under water. The beach,
which appears at a distance to be composed of a beautiful white sand, is
wholly made up of small broken portions of the different species and
varieties of coral, intermixed with shells of testaceous and crustaceous
animals.
Insignificant as this island is in height, compared with others, it
is extremely difficult to gain the summit, in consequence of the thickly
interlacing shrubs which grow upon it, and form so dense a covering,
that it is impossible to see the cavities in the rock beneath. They are
at the same time too fragile to afford any support, and the traveller
often sinks into the cavity up to his shoulder before his feet reach the c h a p .
bottom. The soil is a black mould of little depth, wholly formed of . _**•
decayed vegetable matter, through which points of coral every now
Dec.
and then project.
lS2.i.
The largest tree upon the island is the pandanus, though there is
another tree very common, nearly of the same size, the wood of which
has a great resemblance to common ash, and possesses the same properties.
YVe remarked also a species of budleia, which was nearly as large
and as common, bearing fruit. It affords but little wood, and has a
reddish bark of considerable astringency ; several species of this genus
are to be met with among the Society Islands. There is likewise a long
slender plant with a stem about an inch in diameter, bearing a beautiful
pink flower, of the class and order hexandria monogynia. YY"e saw no
esculent roots, and, with the exception of the pandanus, no tree that
bore fruit fit to eat.
This island, which on our charts bears the name of Elizabeth,
ought properly to be called Henderson’s Island, as it was first named by
Captain Henderson of the Hercules of Calcutta. Both these vessels
visited it, and each supposing it was a new discovery, claimed the merit
of it on her arrival the next day at Pitcairn Island, these two places
lying close together. But the Hercules preceded the former several
months. To neither of these vessels, however, is the discovery of the
land in question to be attributed, as it was first seen by the crew of the
Essex, an American whaler, who accidentally fell in with it after the
loss of their vessel. Two of her seamen, preferring the chance of finding
subsistence on this desolate spot to risking their lives in an open boat
across the wide expanse which lies between it and the coast of Chili,
were at their own desire left behind. They were afterwards taken oft'
by an English whaler that heard of their fate at Valparaiso from their
surviving shipmates*.
* T h e extraordinary fate of the Essex has been recorded in a pamphlet published in
N cyv York by the mate of th a t vessel. As all my readers may n o t be in possession o f it, I
shall briefly state th a t th e Essex was in the a c t of catching whales, when one o f these
animals became enraged, and attacked the vessel by sYvimming aga inst it w ith all its strengtli.
T h e steersman endeavoured to evade th e shock b y managing the helm, b u t in vain. T h e
i