SOLAR ECLIPSE, MAY G, 1883. 25 



with little conil heads which show at low water. On some of the islands there are spaces void of 

 vegetation, extending from lagoou to sea-beacb, which indicate the existence at a former time of a 

 water separation. 



"The inclosing platform reef fringes the shore, forming a wide extension, elevated at; its outer 

 edge, around the greater portion of which the surf breaks with considerable violence. There is a 

 passage through, or over, this bordering reef near the southern end, which is deep enough to permit 

 small ships' boats to penetrate to the lagoon at high water. 



"The surface of the Islands is covered with a growth of trees and other vegetation, much of 

 which has been planted by the hand of man, especially large numbers of cocoa palm.s, which are 

 being raised for the production of cocoanut-oil. The water in the lagoon is extremely salt, and 

 evidently of greater density than the water of the outer sea. 



" The climate of the island, though warm, is delightful, for, surrounded as it is by sea, the tem- 

 perature is equable. The weather, though mostly fine, is somewhat changeable, with occasional 

 sudden showers, which occur generally at night or during the early morning. The prevailing winds 

 in April and May were from the ^N". and E. 



" The following inscription exists, posted on a blackboard on the lower island : 



"'Caroline Island, latitude 9° 56' S., longitude loOo OC W. Lea.sed from Her Most Gra- 

 cious Majesty Victoria, Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, by Messrs. Hoxjlder, Bros. & 

 Co., i!^o. 140 Leadenhall st., London, England, and Fanniiig's Island, North Pacific Ocean. Agents : 

 Mdme. T. Salmon, veuve Brander, Tahiti; Thomas H. Dayies, II. B. M. vice-consul, Honolulu; 

 Macondray & Co., San Francisco." 



" There are some traces of former iubabltauts, among which may be mentioned three houses and 

 two sheds, in good repair, on the lower island, and two others on the northern island of the group. 

 About one-third the distance up the lagoon a canvas hut exists on one of the smaller islets on the 

 eastern side of the lagoon, and two wooden huts stand on one of the western islets, some distance 

 further up the lagoon. At various places around the beach, anchors, chains, spars, and i)ieces of 

 the woodwork of vessels may be seen, some of them, perhaps, being the remains of wrecks on the 

 reef in years gone by. The island is Inhabited at the present time by seven persons, four men, 

 one woman, and two children, who are engaged in the planting and care of the young cocoanut 

 trees now about 3 feet high. 



" Some varieties of phosphatic guano are found on the islets, but at the present time there seems 

 to be no effort to export any. The source of fresh water on Caroline, as on many coral islands, is 

 the rains, which percolate through the sands and collect upon the coral rock, which forms the basis 

 of the island. There are two shallow wells on the lower island, and another on the upper or north- 

 ern island. 



"Tidal observations made in the lagoon show no relation between the rise and fall in the 

 lagoon and that outside. The lagoon is open to windward, and the wind evidentlj- exercises great 

 influence over the height of the water." 



The brick piers which we constructed for the support of our instruments, and the frames of our 

 observatories, which we left standing, will serve to signalize our occupation of the island. 



In particular I placed upon the upper surface of the pier of the transit instrument a marble 

 slab bearing the inscription, "U. S. Eclipse Party, 1883, May G." This marks the point to which 

 our latitude and longitude are referred. 



It may be added that a series of tidal observations was made by Lieutenant Quaxtrough and 

 Messrs. Fletcher and Doyle. These show the lunar tidal interval on the day of full and chonge 

 S. Mis. 110 4 



