CHAPTER XIV. 



NEW HEBRIDES. CAPE YORK. TORRES STRAITS. 



Api Island, New Hebrides. Fringing Reefs. Proofs of Elevation. Coral 

 Living Detached. Natives of Api, their Ornaments and Weapons. 

 Condition of Returned Labourers. Expression of the Emotions. 

 Raine Island. Its Geological .Structure. Its Vegetation. Nesting 

 of Wideawakes. Gannets and Frigate Birds. Dead Turtles. 

 Somerset, Cape York. Nests of White Ants. Combination of Indian 

 and Australian Features in the Vegetation. Various Birds. Habits 

 of the Rifle Bird. Birds Fertilizing Plants. Camp of the Blacks. 

 Habits of these Natives. Curious Mode of Smoking. Food of the 

 Blacks. They Cannot Count Higher than Three. Absolute Nudity 

 of the Men. Coral Flats. Collection of Savage Weapons at Cape 

 York. Wednesday Island, Torres Straits. Structure of Coral Flats. 

 Giant Clam. Native Graves. Booby Island. A Halting Place for 

 Birds during Migration. Many Land Birds on an Almost Bare 

 Rock. 



Api Island, New Hebrides, August 18th, 1874.— We left 

 Kandavu on August nth, and made a week's run before the 

 trade wind to the island of Api, in the New Hebrides, having 

 on board the ship some labourers, natives of that island, who 

 had worked out their time in Fiji, and were to be returned to 

 their home. 



We were off the east coast of Api on August i8th, having 

 passed several small adjacent islets, " Three-hill " island amongst 

 them, all volcanic. Api lies south of Ambrym and Malicolo, 

 and between these islands and Efate or Sandwich Island. It 

 is in about the same latitude as the northern part of the Fiji 

 group. The island is upwards of 20 miles long, and its highest 

 peak is about 1,500 feet above sea-level. 



The island rises in steep slopes from the sea with here and 

 there only a stretch of flat shore land. It consists of a series 

 of peaks and steep-sided valleys and ridges. The whole is 

 entirely covered with the densest possible vegetation, excepting 

 on very small spots, with difficulty discerned with a glass, where 

 plots are cleared by the natives for cultivation. 



The ship steamed close in to the island, opposite a spot 

 where a valley terminated towards the sea with a widened 

 mouth, evidently containing a river. There was a stretch of 



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