figurations and mineralogical peculiarities; columnar basalt appears, and
hornblende and chalcedony are found. There are all the indications of past
volcanic action, and the oldest resident of Peel Island stated that two or
three tremblings of the earth, giving evidence of a liability to earthquake,
are experienced annually even now.
The harbor of Port Lloyd (as Beechey named it) is on the western side
and nearly in the centre of Peel Island. I t is easy of ingress and egress,
and may be considered as safe and commodious, though of deep anchorage!
Yessels usually anchor in from eighteen to twenty-two fathoms. The port
is laid down on Beechey’s chart as in latitude 27° 57 35" north, and 142°
I P 30" east longitude. This position, however, is believed to be erroneous
for, according to two sets of observations, made by the master of the Susquehanna,
the longitude was found to be 142° 16' 30" east;, five miles more
to the eastward than Beechey makes it. The safest anchorage is to be
found as high up the harbor as a ship can conveniently go, having regard to
depth and room for swinging and veering cable. Beechey’s directions for
entering the port are sufficient , correct.
Wood and water can be procured in abundance, though the former must
be cut by the crew, and taken on board the ship green. The water is obtained
from running streams, and is of good quality. Timber for building
purposes is rather scarce, and would soon be exhausted if any increase of
population should render the erection of many houses necessary. The best
kinds of wood are the jamana and wild mulberry, the former of which is
very like the red wood of Brazil and Mexico, and is very enduring.
The harbor of Port Lloyd and the neighboring waters abound with
excellent fish, which may be taken by the hook or net, although the places
for hauling the seine are few, owing to the coral which in many parts lines
the shores. The best place for this purpose is upon the beach which borders
“ Ten Fathom Hole,” a deep portion of the bay which is close to the coral
reef that extends out from the shore. The varieties of fish are not numerous
; among those taken in the seine belonging to the Susquehanna, there were
but five observed: the mullet, which seemed to be the most abundant, two
varieties of perch, the gar, and the common ray. Sharks are very numerous,
and, when quite small, frequent the shallow places among the coral rocks,
and are there pursued by the dogs, seized upon and dragged on shore.
There is an abundance of excellent green turtle, of which the ships obtained
large supplies; there are also plenty of cray fish. The varieties of
the testacea are numerous, but none that was observed of any rarity, and
none edible except the chama gigas, which, however, is very tough and
indigestible. The family of the Crustacea is very extensive, of which the
land crab forms the chief part, and which exists in every variety of size
form, and color; one of the most abounding is that which is commonly
known as the “ pirate.” This animal can be seen in every direction near the
shore, travelling about with its odd-looking domicil upon its back, which it
seems to have got possession of rather by chance than from choice. The
“ pirate” has no home of its own, but appropriates, whence its name, that
which belongs to others. I t has a decided preference for the shells of the
buccina, murex, and bulla, which have the comfortable proportions of an
inch and a half or so in length ; but if such desirable quarters should, by
any mischance, happen to be scarce, the “ pirate” readily turns into the next
most suitable dwelling of some neighbor at hand. I t is necessary that the
animal should have some snug corner wherein, if not to lay its head, at any
rate to put its tail, for the latter is soft, and requires constant protection.
Thus, when the “ pirate ” moves about,' his head and claws are always protruded,
but his rear is covered with his borrowed shell. I t is still an
unsettled question whether this animal appropriates the domicils of others
by first rudely ejecting their living occupants, or more considerately
waits until a natural death or some fatality vacates the quarters, and then
takes possession. The “ pirate” is a voracious creature, and seizes with
great avidity upon anything eatable that comes in its way.
The scarcity of birds, both of sea and land spècie s, struck every one as
singular. There were not more than four or five varieties of the latter,, the
largest of which were the crow and the pigeon, the others being of small
size. There were but few gulls or other sea-birds; on approaching the
islands, some petrel were observed, of unusually large size and of singularly
brilliant plumage.
Among the quadrupeds there were found sheep, deer, hogs, and goats,
with an infinite number of cats and dogs. The cats and hogs, having lost
some of their quiet domestic virtues, had strayed into the jungle, and were
dignified by the inhabitants with the title of wild animals, and were accord-
hunted with dogs. On Stapleton Island, the goats, which were placed
there by some of the early settlers, have increased prodigiously, as have also
these animals, together with the hogs, put upon thé other islands. ' Commodore
Perry left on shore on the north side of Peel Island, with a view to
their increase, two bulls and two cows, and on North Island five Shanghai
broad-tailed sheep, of which two were rams, and six goats.
Peel Island is the only one of the Bonin group inhabited, and it contained
on the visit of the Commodore but thirty-one inhabitants, all told : of
these, three or four were native Americans, about the same number Englishmen,
one a Portuguese, and the remainder Sandwich islanders and children
born on the island. The settlers, have cultivated patches of land of some
extent, and raise a considerable quantity of sweet potatoes, Indian corn,
pumpkins, onions, taro, and several kinds of fruit, the most abundant of
which are water-melons, bananas, and pine-apples. These productions, together
with the few pigs and poultry that are raised, find a ready sale to the
whale ships constantly touching at the port for water and other supplies.