THE ARU ISLANDS. 307 



broken at intervals and there the coast is wooded and shows 

 a white sandy beach. 



The cliffs appear as if formed of a stratified ferruginous red 

 rock. Here and there on the rocks were conspicuous white 

 patches on the cliffs, the nesting-places of Boobies, of which 

 large flocks were seen flying to roost as evening came on. 



Masses of closely-packed tree-stems with dense foliage 

 masses above, appeared lining the shore where it was flat. 

 There were no cocoanut palms to be seen amongst them. 

 After coasting during the whole night, Dobbo, the port of the 

 islands, was reached in the morning. Dobbo lies on the small 

 island of Wamma, which is separated opposite the town by a 

 narrow channel from the large island of Wokan. 



The striking feature in the vegetation of Wamma, as viewed 

 by one who has just been amongst the Pacific Islands, is the 

 very small proportion of palms showing amongst the general 

 mass of foliage. There are only two small clumps of cocoanut 

 trees near the town. The leafy masses rising above the wdrite 

 beach might almost be taken to be made up of elm trees, the 

 tree tops being rounded in the same manner. The whole has 

 a dull blueish tint. 



As we neared Dobbo, turning up the passages between the 

 two islands, we passed large quantities of leaves, fruits, and 

 flowers, and branches of trees floated off from the shores, and 

 now drifting about mingled with a floating seaweed (Sargassum). 

 Off the Ke Islands we met with similar drifts of land vegetation 

 and also amongst the Moluccas ; and I was astonished at the 

 large quantities of fresh vegetable matter thus seen floating on 

 the sea. 



The sea birds, especially terns, habitually resort to the float- 

 ing logs as resting places, and it is curious to see them in the 

 distance, appearing as if standing on the surface of the water, 

 the logs themselves being often invisible. Not only are large 

 quantities of fruits capable of germinating thus transported from 

 island to island* but entire living plants, even trees, are washed 

 from island to island and transplanted by the waves. 



* Mr. Darwin has recorded the experiments which lie made in con- 

 juncture with Mr. Berkeley to determine the period of time during which 



