•628 NOTE ON THE BIBLIOGRAPHY OF LORD HOWE ISLAND, 



The report of Mr. Surveyor H. J. White, "^ entitled '' Report 

 on Lord Howe Island," is dated 1835, and is a very brief one. 

 It gives the area of the island at 3,230 acres, of which 1,000 are 

 " sufficiently level, although too sandy for cultivation," as against 

 3,220 acres and 2,000 acres, respectively, given by the Govern- 

 ment Botanist, Mr. Charles Moore. f He further mentions the 

 small lagoon in the centre of the island shown on his chart, but 

 of which we could find no trace during our visit. The population 

 at the time of Mr. White's survey consisted of four men, three 

 New Zealand women, and two children. 



The report of Dr. John Foulis, dated September 1st, 1851, and 

 sixteen years after White's, is a " Statement of Circumstances in 

 reference to Lord Howe's Island, situated off the coast of New 

 South Wales, between the Heads of Port Jackson and Norfolk 

 Island." Dr. Foulis's residence extended to three years. He 

 describes the island as thirty-five miles in circumference, the 

 coral reef two miles from the shore and ten miles in length ! As 

 a matter of fact, the reef is but one mile from the western coast, 

 and is between three and four miles long, extending across 

 the bay formed between Phillip Point and the western foot of 

 Mount Ledgebird. Amongst other zoological notes five kinds of 

 fish are recorded, and it is stated that whales are " in the habit 

 of breeding near the reef at certain seasons ;" a large blue pigeon 

 and parrots are also mentioned, thus supporting the statement of 

 the late Mr. E. S. Hill as to the presence of these birds on Lord 

 Howe Island, and confirmed by the evidence our party gathered 

 on the same subject. In connection with the geology. Dr. Foulis 

 mentions one or two interesting facts, such as the " bones of 

 turtle and sea shells" occurring in the "soft sandstone hills and 

 cliffs " forming the lower ground. He also noticed extensive and 

 deep beds of clay scattered over the island, one of these, in a 

 well-sinking, being as much as fourteen feet thick. The turtle 



* Not H. F. White, as generally stated, 

 t Lord Howe Island, &c. By Edward S. Hill, 1870 (8vo. Sydney, 1870) 

 p. 14. 



