412 THE ARCTURUS ADVENTURE 



May 21st. Another day of fishing and diving, with tubs of fish to 

 identify and preserve as a result. Exploring party to Wafer Bay, 

 where are the remnants of the settlement that August Gissler had 

 here. Attempts made to harpoon giant rays from the Pawnee launch, 

 but the rays always vanish by the time the launch and gear go in 

 pursuit. 



May 22nd. Everyone ashore to collect at low tide. Got several 

 tiny morays and two species of ThaUasoma, as well as parrotfishes, 

 Moorish Idols, puffers and a small trunkfish. Crabs are abundant and 

 varied, but almost no sea-anemones and few sponges. Shrimps com- 

 mon and many curious clicking shrimps. More diving and more dy- 

 namited fish. In the evening one of the deck-hands harpooned two 

 sharks from a small boat tied to the boom. One was Carcharias 

 platyrhynchus, about six feet long, the other a four-foot C. galapa- 

 gensis. The first had eaten one Lutianus jordani and two Paranthias 

 furcifer; the second one Paranthias and two Pomacentrus, — but they 

 were all dead fish which we had thrown overboard. 



May 23rd. Cloudy, squally day, water very rough. Collecting and 

 seining on beach and in river. Got about three pailsful of sandfish at 

 the mouth of the river, and up the stream captured over a hundred 

 gobies of several species. There were very few of these latter in the 

 quiet side pools, but many in the swift-rushing main channel. Be- 

 sides these there was little life to be found, except small shrimps, 

 which were common, and an occasional large-clawed blue crayfish. 



We have seen several rats and caught one, very mangy and thin. 

 One wild cat seen on beach, eating dead fish, which was also the food 

 of the rats. Three or four large pigs have been shot at by the sailors 

 and once we saw a very small one. 



Tremendous rain from four p. m. all the rest of day. 



May 24th. A dank and dismal all-day rain. In the morning man- 

 aged to poison some of the tiny tide-pools with copper sulphate and 

 so obtained a number of small fishes of kinds that we have vainly 

 tried to take with nets. About 2 p. m. got up anchor and steamed 

 round north and west sides of island. There are dozens of cascades 

 pouring into the sea over high cliffs, bursting from the cover of thick 

 woods, and leaping down smooth rocky slides. By the time we were 

 off Dampier Head the rain, fog and clouds were so heavy that we 

 could not see much. Stood off to southward. 



May 25th. Establishment of Station 74, at 4° 50' N. Lat.: 87° W. 

 Long. A hot sun, welcome change after ten days at Cocos. A splendid 

 haul in morning with five silk nets and a Petersen, repeated in after- 

 noon. 



Everyone tired from strenuous days on Cocos, and with bruises and 

 cuts and sprains to cure. 



May 26th. Vertical hauls all day to-day, to establish controls on 

 zones of life. Enough sea to roll the ship about when lying idle. 



