450 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1889. 



Mohican Lieut. F. M. Symonds, with Naval Cadet C. M. McCormick as 



assistant, made a careful survey of tbe island, and their chart, here- 

 with appended, will be found accurate and replete with interest. (Plate 

 XII.) 



SAILING DIRECTIONS. 



Vessels anchoring on this unprotected coast must be guided entirely 

 by the direction of the wind at the time. The Mohican anchored in the 

 roadstead of Hanga Boa (Cook's Bay on the English charts) on the 

 morning of December 19, 18S6, and afterwards moved to a position off 

 Auakena Bay (La Perouse Bay), for convenience in shipping the stone 

 image, now in the National Museum. 



On the south coast there are good anchorages during northerly and 

 westerly winds, but there is usually a heavy swell from the southwest, 

 making the boat-landings at Vaihu both difficult and dangerous. With 

 easterly winds a good anchorage will be found just outside of Hanga 

 Pico Bay, with sandy bottom, in about 20 fathoms of water, and the 

 boat-landing will be found safe. The best boat-landing on the island 

 is at Anakena Bay; the beach is comparatively free from stones, and 

 even with northerly winds the lauding would be no more difficult than 

 is usual at Funchal. 



The rise and fall of the tide at Easter Island is about 2 feet. The 

 northerly and westerly winds do not produce a high sea, but generally 

 bring rain, and are usually confined to the winter season. These winds 

 are known to the natives as "papakiuo" (ill-force). The northeast wind 

 is called "tougariki;" it is variable, and frequent in summer. The 

 southeast wind, known as "anoraro" (wide expanse), is the prevailing 

 wind in summer. The south wind, called u motu-rauri" (dark leaf rock), 

 blows in winter. The southwest wind blows strong in winter, and 

 brings rain and a high sea. Vaitara (cut-water) is a winter wind from 

 the west. The prevailing winds are from an easterly direction, and all 

 others are of short duration. Light airs that frequently shift direction 

 are usually accompanied by rain, and are called by the natives " tepu- 

 hauga" (blows drift on shore), the reason for which is obvious. 



GEOLOGICAL FEATURES. 



The geological features of the island are replete with interest. The 

 formation is purely of a volcanic character and embraces every variety 

 pertaining to that struct ire. Basaltic, cellular, and tufaceous lavas 

 abound in diversified forms. The basaltic is generally porous and scori- 

 forin, but on the slope of the hills the substrata are frequently as coin- 

 pact and dense as that of the coast-line. Near Anakena may be seen 

 hills composed of scoria quite as cellular as pumice, and in close prox- 

 imity compact beds having a dark blue basis, composed of crystals of 

 glassy feldspar and olivine. 



The cellular formation is mixed pumice and slag, in some eases siuii^ 



