281 



seen bearing fruit. The Croton trees likewise have mueh thiek- 

 ened stems. Leaves of the sprawling shrub Waltlicria reticulata 

 are firmer and coarser than those of the same shrub on Inde- 

 fatigable Island, and the flowers of Cordia lutca seem smaller in 

 size and of a paler color. The cactus Opuntia- Helleri, rarely 

 found elsewhere, is here mostly confined to sea-cliifs and lava 

 slopes, and is rare inland. The l)ranches of this S])ecies have very 

 few spines and can be taken by hand, something which no juM'son 



«V*-&»-.'., 



"ic. 12. Looking' into the interior of Charles Island from the landing 



at Black Beach Roads. 



coidd do with the species on Indefatigable Island. I picked my 

 way up over the two cliffs adjacent to the harbor, and followed 

 the almost impercej^itible slope to the westward. The flow struc- 

 ture of the reddish lava was much in evidence, yet it was with much 

 surprise that I suddenly btu'st U])on the great crater, which lies a 

 mile or so in the interior. It was an inspiring sight, a circular 

 opening nearly a lialf mile in wndth, with a blue lake at the bot- 

 tom surrounded bv mangrove trees. The precipitous descent was 

 difficult, perhaps 150 to 200 feet. Passing over the last great 

 pile of lava fragments I found myself at the lake, crawled through 



