280 



ferent. No cactus was to be seen in the vicinity of our anchorage, 

 and all trace of the spineless tree had unfortunately disappeared. 

 Charles island is dominated hy a symmetrical volcanic peak, 

 rounded at the to]) and rising to about 2000 feet, showing clearly 

 the vegetative zones. Jts I)are summit appeared green. A plain- 

 like area extends almost to its foot. Near the coast the well-spaced 

 leguminous bushes included the fantastic Farkinsonia aculcahi. 

 The small lier])aceoirs plants were of different species than those 

 encountered on Indefatigable Island, and the gravelly soil gave 

 the general impression of cedar glades or oak barrens of the south- 

 ern United States. We did not remain long enough on the islrmd 

 to reach the springs located at the base f)f the mountain. Other 

 members of the expedition had visited the famous ])ost office at 

 Post Office Bay. There is no i^ostmaster, and letters drojiped in 

 a barrel are collected by ])assing ships. During the daws of the 

 whaling industry it was an important means of conuuunication. 



The yacht anchored off Charles fsland foi- the night and nexl 

 day sailed back to Indefatigable, where we landed long enough to 

 pick up the reiuaincler of our scattered possessions and bid farewell 

 to our companions who had been of untold assistance in ca|)tiu'ing 

 the giant tortoises and in helping the mountain ]:iarty. 



The next morning the yacht made aliuost a complete circle about 

 Indefatigable, passing Duncan and James and landing at South 

 Sevmoin- Island. 1 lere was a broad sandv beach, with laud 

 iguanas basking under the scrubby trees. We stayed only a few 

 moments, long enougli to snatch u]) a few iguanas, and sailed away 

 to Tower Island, one of the outlying islands to the northward. 



Our anchorage at Darwin l)ay in Tower Island was the sub- 

 merged crater of an extinct volcano. Its sides are precipitous save 

 for a little sandy area at the head of the bay, occupied by thousands 

 of nesting sea l)irds which flew in hundreds over the shi]) and 

 ])erched in every available thicket. They were largely Man-o'-War 

 birds. The balloon like red throats of the males could be seen for 

 a long distance. Tower is a s])len(lid exaiuple of an island with a 

 xerophytic euA-ironment ; I doubt if there is a hatful of real soil 

 on the island, and the dwarfed vegetatit)n is reduced to about a 

 dozen s])ecies which struggle for existence on the dry lava. None 

 of the trees rise above a dozen feet. The Bursera trees are char- 

 acterized by swollen branches, and trees only six feet high may be 



