'. V. • •: ' ■ 357 



A VISIT TO BARREN ISLAND IN THE ANDAMANS. 



BY 

 B. B. OSMASTON, I.F.S. 



On the 9th April 1907, I had the good fortune to visit Barren 

 Island in the Port Blair station steamer, the RI.M.S. " Mayo." 



We arrived off the island at daybreak, and anchored to the South, 

 the only practical anchorage owing to deep soundings and steepness 

 cf the foreshore. 



The island is situated in North latitude 12° 16', 83 miles North-East 

 of Port Blair. It is an extinct volcano, the summit of which rises 

 1,158 feet above the sea. It can be seen on exceptionally clear days 

 from the top of Mount Harriet (close to Port Blair), which is 1,193 

 feet in altitude. 



The island is roughly circular and about 6 miles in circumference. 

 It consists of a central cone, almost devoid of vegetation, surrounded 

 by a circular crater or amphitheatre, almost as high as the central 

 cone, continuous except at one point, where it is broken down to the 

 level of the sea; and it is through this gap that the drainage of the 

 island finds its way into the sea. The crater is densely clothed with 

 forest on its outer slopes facing the sea and also, to a certain extent, 

 on the inside, i.e., facing the central cone, especially where it has a 

 northern aspect. 



There is absolutely no fresh water on the island, with the exception 

 of a hot spring (temperature 98° fahr.), which is found at the above- 

 mentioned gap, but below sea level except at low tide. 



The central cone was active within recent historical times. Captain 

 Blair in 1795 reported volumes of smoke and showers of red-hot 

 stones, and subsequent visitors have noted less eruptive activity. 



It appears, in fact, to have been steadily settling down, and now the 

 only signs of activity consist in the escape of intensely heated vapour 

 from two small vent holes near the summit and one near a lump on 

 the flank, around which sulphur is deposited. 



The fauna of the island is naturally poor, the only mammals being 

 the domestic goat introduced in 1891 and a rat (Mvs atratus, KIoss}« 

 The former seem to thrive well in spite of tue scarcity of water, 

 and they may be seen in small parties all over the island. 



