| Show r. r i iThe The South Sea Islands THERE is situated in the South Pacific Pacific Pacific Pa Pa- in south latitude 14 deg 30 to 20 O deg and west longitude deg to deg 30 a group of cora coral known as the or Low Archipelago Little has been written or published concerning them and their people but they present an interesting field of study to the student and tray tra tra eler They are with the exception of three of their number number number num num- ber atolls of vari various us shapes and sizes having their lakes or lagoons inside and not being more than five or ten feet above the high water mark They number some six seventy-six islands about fifty of which are inhabited Many of them are mere islets joined together by a partly submerged coral reef The Theland Theland Theland land is in narrow strips being as a rule not more than a quarter of a mile wide The soil is very poor so poor in fact that nothing of any worth will grow there unless soil is carried from Tahiti except the cocoanut and or pan- pan danus trees The orange lime banana and bread fruit trees have been planted but with poor success only in cases where the earth has been carried at considerable considerable considerable con con- expense and trouble from distant distant distant dis dis- tant points But these low coral islands seem to be the home of the cocoanut for vast plantations grow on most of of them and bring forth a fruit which forms forms' one of their principal products of trade trade- Gro Growing ng as they do in rocks ks and sand with roots fed ed by the water sea sea vater they fill fillus fillus u us with wonder by their luxuriant growth strange to say they bring forth a nut whose meat and water is far sweeter than that found in the cocoanut of Tahiti where the soil is exceedingly fruitful But it is a fact however that the nut of the islands is far more desirable desirable desirable desira desira- ble than that of Tahiti or other islands of the Society group The three islands mentioned above as not being atolls might be classified as raised coral islands The most important tant one of the three was visited by myself and companion in February and March of the present year As we drew near with our little craft it loomed up before us as a large flat moun moun- tain Coming closer we saw that its sides were perpendicular in almost every everyplace everyplace everyplace place and that they rose to a height of three or four hundred feet As there was no harbor where the boat could be anchored we were forced to go ashore in a canoe The natives are adepts with the paddle and watching their chance they drew us smoothly over the breakers without upsetting u UP us or forcing us to swim to land We found the peo people pIe of of- this wonderfully wonderfully wonderfully wonder wonder- fully formed island living near the seashore seashore seashore sea sea- shore on a narrow level tract which extended extended extended ex ex- tended alon along the shore for nearly a mile and inland about an eighth of a mile mileto to the base of the mountain On reaching the summit by ascending a rather steep path we found the top of the mountain to be quite flat and rocky and abounding in such Juch trees as the cocoanut cocoanut cocoanut co co- guava and orange Here also is found the shell of the or large oyster which is imbedded in inthe inthe inthe the rock If the island is of coral oral formation formation formation for for- for for- mation and it undoubtedly is it has undergone some volcanic or subterranean motion which has raised it to its present present present pre pre- sent position r The most striking feature feature- of the whole island is is fo found found in in the thel caves caves caves' at the base tk 1 j j 1 r f f rt t l of the m mountain and scattered along its its side The lower ones are most beautiful stone pillars rise and separate them into different compartments pools of pure fresh water are found in little cups formed in the rock and from above clear streams trickle down One feels himself almost in a paradise Above the caverns are dark and gloomy No water is found here but all is dry and musty In contrast contrast contrast con con- with those below these are filled with corruption for the islanders of many generations past lie here in in n their eternal sleep Eugene M. M Cannon |
