Descriplion of Slkafjana, 6ii 



After a row of an hour and a half we at last reached the 

 island of Sikayana, having previously met three canoes, one 

 of which was manned by twelve rowers, who now entered on 

 a sort of regatta contest with us. These canoes, not more 

 than a foot and a half wide, glide with uncommon velocity 

 through the water, but despite their out-riggers, they are not 

 adapted for carrying much provisions. We found it quite 

 easy to land at the place, and drew up our boat upon the 

 sandy beach. 



The world of these islanders, the entire area of dry habit- 

 able land upon this coral reef, is about one-eighth of an Eng- 

 lish square mile ; no stream, no mountain, no eminence 

 adorns the island, the highest part of which is just sufficiently 

 elevated to enable the winds and waves to heap up sand and 

 debris ; around it on every side is the boundless ocean, and 

 its mineral wealth is reduced to one single mineral, carbon- 

 ated chalk, deposited in the brine by thousands of millions 

 of coral animals. Hither too the ocean in some extraordinary 

 cases wafts pumice and other stones lighter than water, which 

 somewhat improve the soil, or occasionally stones are trans- 

 ported, entangled in the roots of floating trees, with which 

 the denizens of this little place can grind the mussel-shells, 

 of which they make all their tools, as well as knives and 

 hatchets. 



The immense vegetable kingdom has but 20 or 30 repre- 

 sentatives here, whose seeds have been transported hither 

 by the sea from richer and more congenial soils, and thrown 



2 R 2 



